Children of Enterprise
by Bailey Huber
Summary: Life for the Senior Staff post Finale.
1. Chapter 1

2161

"This sucks." Trip Tucker ran the laps with his Captain. "There has to be a different option than separating my family. Libby needs to grow up with both her parents. It's not what we want, it's not going to work in the long run."

"We've talked about it for six years Trip." Jonathon Archer sighed. "I wish there was a more practical answer but there isn't. You're going to take that shuttle and get Libby out of here. The safe house on Alpha Centuri is ready for you, at most it should be 3 months before T'Pol joins you two."

"I still don't like the idea at all. You're not the one that has to explain this whole thing to your scared child." The engineer punched the wall. "Yes, we've been beyond overprotective of her, but we haven't had a choice, we want her to be as normal as possible, doing this ain't helping the situation at all. What the hell of a cock and bull story are we going to conduct to kill me off anyway? Can I at least die a noble death?"

"You can thank Shran for getting his ass into this sorry situation." The Captain smiled. "I'll handle the heroics of the story later. I'm sure between Phlox, Malcolm, and Hoshi we can think of something good. You're officially relieved of duty, the last decade's been a pleasure Commander."

She knew the minute he returned to their quarters it was time. They had made it a point that neither of them wanted any thing to do with the planning, it would be too difficult. Someone had to run the ship when the scheming was going on, and as a couple they craved the normalcy of routine. "When?"

"Tomorrow. We'll leave with Shran." He kept his voice to a whisper as to not wake their daughter. "It's so not what I want to do, and just don't. Don't start that's it's the only logical thing to do, I don't want to hear it now. Even with Jon saying it'll be only a few months, you and I both know that's not the truth."

"Do you really think I want to see my daughter leave me?" The Vulcan struggled to keep her stoic composure. "You two could get onto that shuttle and I might not see you for years. We should've never even started these discussions when we brought Libby home. It would've been tough, but people would've gotten used to the notion of her. I don't want to raise our children apart, I don't even want to go through 3 days of this pregnancy without you."

"Phlox will be around to monitor you, and we'll be together again before you know it. If anything I feel safer having you still on ship with a doctor at your beck and call." He took her into his arms. "What matters the most is that you and the baby are healthy, and I promise not to corrupt Libby until you join us. No swearing, and I will make sure her manners stay in line."

2162

The Admiral let a wide grin spread across his face as he saw the figure at the end of the hall. The tapping of her heels were a familiar and welcome sound. It had been 3 months since her promotion, the Command Gold, the Captain's pips, her signature ponytail chopped off, the sight of it all still threw him off. "I hope the hazing hasn't been too bad Captain."

"I'm only half tempted to call Harvard and accept the teaching post." Hoshi Sato smiled at her former commanding officer. "I really believe half the staff around here doesn't have a clue as to how to deal with me. I know there's resentment with me going from Lieutenant to Captain, but if they want me to do this right, I need respect. I'm not running some tiny little operation here, we're talking about languages for the fleet, someone needs to be able to program those universal translators. Plus, one of these days, as we keep expanding there's going to be a need for a common language, it might as well be me that develops it."

"Half of Enterprise didn't know how to deal with you for the better part of two years." Archer looked at her with wide eyes. "It's still a relief to have a familiar face here with me, even if we are on opposite sides of the grounds. Now I did promise you lunch, so you'll really get those tongues wagging now."

"Puh-lease, they're already wagging enough. I'm just happy I have my primary defender back." The pair started walking. "At least I have a staff that understands I'm a pro at what I do, and that if I wasn't I wouldn't be their boss. But if everyone else would just give me some respect, life would be a lot easier."

"Give them time Hosh. They'll learn to realize that if you want to you could make their lives a living hell." He had missed her over the last few weeks. "So what did I miss while on my mission of goodwill to all? That is besides your brownies."

"I'll just have to send you with an emergency ration of my brownies next time." She flirted shamelessly, after a decade it was part of their closeness. "Malcolm went off and married Sergeant McKenzie. Travis and Amanda were speechless when they heard. Even better, we think she's pregnant. Those two as parents, can you imagine a scarier sight?"

"You with a stroller. And as much as Mayweather and Cole feign drama, we all saw that one coming." Archer looked at her. "I mean come on here, it's Malcolm we're talking about. Mr. Rigidity was going to need a wife one day, he's the nesting type. I think him and Sergeant McKenzie on perfect for each other. I'm just glad I won't be the poor kid facing them when I miss curfew."

"Like you would be any better?" Sato winked at him. "How was Vulcan anyway? T'Pol holding up okay? It can't be easy for her a newborn and not having Trip and Libby there."

"She's surviving, Charlie looks and sounds just like Trip, so it might get tougher as he gets older." The Admiral opened the door of the officer's club for her. "But let's actually put it out of our mind for now and actually enjoy lunch like two normal humans. Though I really want to hear what the grapevine starts saying that you're eating lunch with me."

-

2163

"So what's this rumor I keep hearing about Jon and Hoshi." Tucker brought drinks out to Reed on his deck. "I mean that's even better than you and Corporal McKenzie if it's true."

"First of all, if you ever think about addressing Jenna as Corporal to her face, you're in for a serious ass whipping." The Commander leaned back into the deck chair. "I like you so I'll give you a fair warning. If you know anything about my wife, she takes to being referred to Corporal just as seriously as Hoshi does to being referred to as Ensign. They've worked too hard to get to where they're at."

"That's nice, but what about Jon and Hoshi, are the rumors I'm hearing actually true. From what I'm getting is that they're lunching together every day, and it's just not as colleagues if you catch my drift." Tucker smiled. "I mean they deserver happiness, and if they can find it with each other, good for them."

"I think the closeness they've developed has to do simply with the fact that they're the two of us stationed at Starfleet headquarters. It's not exactly the friendliest group that work out of there." Reed sighed. "If you want a bunch of persnickety snobs who wouldn't know how to survive on ship for more than 3 weeks, it's the place to be."

"They're not that persnickety. Or maybe I'm becoming immune to it after a year." The Admiral joined them on the deck. "And it's not like I don't hear you gossiping about me Trip. It's frankly none of your business what I do with my personal life. Nor with who I spend free time, I don't haggle you two over any of the choices you have made."

"So the rumors are true then?" Tucker glared at his best friend. "I mean, you have the need to be involved with a woman with as close to as much power as you. Yet at the same time she needs to be an intellectual equal. And after 20 years, Erika wasn't going to wait around for you anymore, can you really blame her?"

"I'm not going to win this battle." Archer smiled broadly. "I just know I won't, you've picked up too much of T'Pol's logic over the last decade. I'm happy, Hoshi's happy and for us it's working. Is it a happy ever after situation, I'm not sure. I would like it to be though."

"So it's more about just being lunch buddies. I knew it. Ha!" Reed nodded approvingly. "She's right for you. That and the fact that Hoshi speaks dozens of languages will probably only help your career in the long run."

"It's not about my career Malcolm." The Admiral looked at the two. "It's been about my career for 35 years, it's about time it becomes about my life for once. Now the two of you could help me by wiping those giant ass-kissing smirks off your faces."

"I'm coming out of hiding for your wedding Jon. You can explain that one to brass." Tucker smiled. "And it's about time Hoshi settled down also, Captain Sato isn't getting any younger either. And I know she outranks me, but it's not like she can throw me in the brig for that comment."

-

2165

"Why am I already dreading the years when she starts to give the boys a run for their money?" Sato cradled her newborn daughter. "At least that will make us seem younger."

"I don't feel my age at all." Archer squeezed his wife's shoulder. "And you certainly don't look even close to your age Hosh. You're going to go on for eternity that your age makes you ancient to be a first time mother, but it's not. If we raise her right we'll be fine and she'll be the perfect child."

"No, we'll be bigger parenting disasters than Malcolm and Jenna. You've seen how they're dealing with the terrible twos, it'll look easy when we get to them. Plus, we're the tops in our professional lives, for that reason alone we'll be horrible at raising Margaret." She rolled her eyes. "She already has your scheming look in her eyes. Will Starfleet ever be ready for another Archer?"

"Don't go putting all the blame on me. She's your child too. The 27 hours of labor that you'll be holding against me for all eternity is the only proof I need for that." He teased his wife. "We're not going to pressure her to be fleet. It's only fair that we let her choose what she wants to do with her life."

"I'll believe that when she turns 18 and you don't start putting the pressure to be an officer on her." She handed the baby over to her father. "So we're in agreement on Margaret then? I know it wasn't your favorite on the list."

"I can yell it up the stairs easily. I practiced last night, I just have a feeling we'll be yelling it a lot. Especially with the way she put us through the last nine months." Archer cradled his daughter. "And I won't have an issue if she chooses not to go Starfleet, we can't have everything about her be always perfect."

"I'm surprised that's coming out of you." Sato smiled at the sight of the two of them. "I know how much family pride means to you Jon. It takes a lot to say you won't be having issues with the choices she makes in life."

"I said career choices." The Admiral put on a stern face and looked down at the baby. "If you become a cat person, we're going to have some serious issues young lady. You can be whatever you want to be, as long as you have a love for dogs. We need to establish priorities from day one. Having a signature dessert and a dog, that's all I'm asking."

"That's the man I married." The Captain laughed. "Worried about desserts and dogs. Maybe that philophsy will help as she grows up. I can just see you sitting on the front porch with a phaser when the boys start coming."

"You bet I will be." Archer kissed his wife on the forehead. "Get some rest, I'll have your office send everything over in a bit, I know you're more than ready to get back to work."


	2. Chapter 2

June 2168

"This sucks. It absolutely positively sucks." The teenager gave her father lip. She was sick and tired of living a life filled with secrets and doctor's appointments. "I feel perfectly fine Dad. I don't need to spend another week going through this again."

"Quit pulling the wool over your eyes Libby." Tucker bit back the tears, it was becoming impossible to even look at her. She had matured to be the spitting image of her mother, and to see her wasting away was breaking his heart. "You don't look fine; you're wasting away here. It's one week with Dr. Phlox, that's all I'm asking Lib one week. T'Pol's meeting us on Denobula. You can refuse treatment, but I'm not going to let you refuse your mother."

"Dad, I know I'm in denial. I want to live my life to the fullest when I can." She sighed, she knew she was fighting a losing battle. "Be honest with me, my days are numbered and I know it. Mom wouldn't be leaving Charlie and coming to meet us on Denobula if I was going in for a simple check-up. I'm not a little kid anymore, I know every year I've made it is a minor miracle."

He let his daughter collapse into his arms. "Lib, quit being so gloom and doom. You're terminal not on your death bed just yet. We had so many scares when you were a baby, that we never thought we would hear your voice. No one is sure what type of procedure he used to create you, what we do know is your mother and I would and have given our lives to keep you safe. I mean just look at my hair line, it's done nothing but recede since you've become a teenager." The former Commander tried to sugar coat it.

"Daddy, you would be balding even if I wasn't a teenager." She fought to smile. "If something happens to me, you need to leave here and go be with Mom and Charlie. It sucks that he thinks you died before he was born. At least I get to see Mom every so often, he only knows Mom and not you at all. I'm sure they could think of some way for you to be in his life, without you being in his life."

"Lib, you're going to be perfectly fine. And as for your brother, Mom and I knew that was going to be the case when she got pregnant with Charlie. We've been prepared since day one for it." He sighed. "Yeah, it's not ideal, but it means giving you a chance to live a normal life, so I'll pay the price."

October 2169

"You sure you want this?" Phlox sat across from the teenager. Her parents had left the room a few minutes before. "I mean once I start you on these meds it'll be a matter of weeks . If you say no Lib, we can scratch the whole thing for another year or two."

"It's now or never." She looked at him confidently, and ran a hand thorugh her hair piece. "Plus, it's getting boring. And Dad needs to be with Mom and Charlie. They've given up enough for me. I'm young, but I'm not stupid about this decision. It's what I want. "

"Your recovery will take a few weeks, but you'll be in the best health of your life when my son finishes with you." The doctor sighed. "I'm not worried about the psyche effects of you not existing. You've dealt with that since you were a baby."

"See, this will put me into existing." Libby laid it out straight. "I mean yes, I'll be spending my life as a covert non-existant operative. But hey, it's better than hiding out in a safe house. It'll give me a chance to give back. That's what I want more than anything."

"Okay then." Phlox squeezed her hand. "We'll start the treatment in the morning. Lib, I know it's not an easy decision, but I'm gald you chose to make it."

--

January 2170

"So what's my identity?" Tucker looked at them. "You guys must have some backstory I can't be resurrected from the dead."

"Old friend of Jon's from Stanford." Sato smiled at him. "You can talk water polo; it should carry okay. You're in town for a month consulting on a project for Starfleet. Thankfully Maggie's only four, so she still believes the majority of what we tell her. Plus minus the Stanford part it's totally legit and true."

"And in the world of Hoshi Sato that works as a perfect cover." Reed smiled at the two of them. "We'll just forget the fact that Charlie's a mini you, and even her four year-old will probably be capable of making the connection. I just find it scary that they're actually making her an admiral."

"I missed her promotion to Captain, I wasn't about to miss the induction of Admiral Hoshi Sato." He cracked a grin. "And frankly, it's been way too dammed quiet out here the last six months. I didn't realize even how close to loud my daughter was until we lost her."

"Plus with her you can sugar coat just about anything." Reed raised an eyebrow. "we should just be happy that she's not heading up intelligence, we'd be in disarray if she was."

"I'm objecting to that fact. Maggie has her father wrapped around her pinky, not me." She pushed her bangs off her forehead. "Don't go saying that I'm the bigger pushover until you spend some time living in my house. We need one of us in a traditional Starfleet role, it's the only way this could work. Plus I've worked hard for this promotion."

"And the fact that you're Mrs. Jonathon Archer has nothing at all to do with it." Reed glared at her. "I mean come on Hoshi, you were a Lieutenant less than a decade ago."

"Acquire my linguistic skills and degrees, you can talk Malcolm." The Captain leaned back in her chair. "Most importantly when we decommission next year, we'll all be there. That's what really matters in the end--that we're all there for that final voyage."

--

2171

Major Amanda Cole watched as her daughters explored the ship that she had spent six years of her life on. A part of her didn't want to say good-bye, but they all new it was time to bring her and the secrets into space dock that one last time. She smiled as her husband turned down the corridor. "Grace and Ashley both want to know how we spent all those years sleeping on bunk-beds."

"Only our daughters." Travis Mayweather took his wife's hand. "Apparently Admiral Archer has some big announcement to make prior to the ceremony. I think the only one who knows what it is Hoshi, and now she's just about as tight lipped as he is."

"If you were telling people something and wanted it to be an impact, I would be tight lipped too. It's not about the fact that she's brass now. It's about the fact that a wife is going to support her husband." The Major smiled as her twin daughters approached another young girl. "Though I'm sure if Maggie is anything like her mother used to be, she'll say something to our girls and everything will be out before the announcement."

"No one's as honest as a five-year-old." The Commander smiled. "Did you see how much she was being tortured by little Daniel Reed and Charlie Tucker, makes me sort of glad our girls aren't being raised 

around those two. Yes it looked liked she was holding her own, but I'm just glad our girls aren't being raised around those monsters, they're worse than their fathers."

"Daniel is a result of Jenna. It's not his father. You don't know Jenna MacKenzie the way I do, trust me." Cole laughed. "Though I shudder to think of what Charlie would be like if Trip was around, he'd probably be a lot worse behaved than he is."

--

"Their faces are going to be classic when you tell them." The admirals walked the corridors of their beloved ship, carefully keeping an eye on her only child. "Admiral Jonathon Archer leaving the fleet. I've known for week and I'm still in shock."

"No you aren't." Archer took his wife's hand. "It's time for me to move on. The ability to do this has such a greater impact that my Starfleet career could ever have. Plus we agreed that Maggie doesn't need to grow-up with both her parents constantly being addressed as Admiral."

"I know, but you have to admit that after we got married both of us thought I would be gone a lot sooner than you would." Sato smiled at him. "Now you're taking on Federation diplomacy and I'm still masquerading as a Starfleet Admiral. It's not what we would've dreamed of two decades ago in the least."

"Of course it isn't. But there was a lot that has happened that we couldn't have predicted even five years ago." He sighed an elated sigh. "Trip and T'Pol back together, even if it's not really Trip and T'Pol. We're fully screwed if Malcolm and Jenna ever get angry at us about any little thing."

"They're in deeper than we are. The secrets are safe with them." She glared at her husband. "You seem to forget that sometimes. It's only working because of the four of us are all in on it. We both know that."


	3. Chapter 3

April 2175

"One of these days, I'm resigning and going back to my old life of chasing down mortal enemies." McKenzie handed the ambassador the pad. "At least when I was serving on your ship I got to sleep every so often."

"Very funny Jenna." Archer leaned back in his chair. "You and I both know you would rather be out here than dealing with the mess that awaits you at home. Plus, I don't trust anyone else the way I trust you, to do your job."

"Yeah I know, but still most days I think life was so much easier being a plain old MACO and not the security head for your diplo team. As for Dan, it's not that bad, I think we'll survive the teenage years without too much drama. Though, I'm just waiting until Maggie hits puberty Jon." She cracked a smile.

"You're evil and vindictive Sergeant." His security chief was so much more than the young corporal who had come onto his ship two decades earlier. "I'll just phaser your son away if he comes near Maggie. Dan should know better by now."

"We raised him better than that. However, he's tortured Maggie since she could walk, you might very well end up dealing with him for all eternity." McKenzie collapsed into the arm chair. "Or it could be worse and she could go off and fall in love with Charlie Tucker."

"Don't even think about putting that image into my head. Just remember I can pull the same with your daughter." Archer knew what her weakness was. "When Charlie lives to be 160, Bella being ten years younger will mean nothing."

"Ten years is nothing, that's less than what Malcolm has on me." She chided him right back. "You wouldn't have believed the crush I had on Trip when we first came abroad. I guess the practical brain in me fell in love with a man who was a lot less risk prone."

"I really think you and my wife went through Starfleet introductory reasoning together." The Ambassador looked at her. "The engineer is more risky than the tactical officer, only some people would think like that. Now there is a reason you came to see me right?"

"Lib's coming on to my team next month. That's the main reason I came into speak to you." The MACO glared right back at him. "I just wanted to give you the heads up. You're going to recognize her obviously, but with only you, me, and Dr. Phlox knowing who she actually is, I wanted to prepare you. I know you don't need the lecture—but I'm giving it to you anyway."

"Jen, I still wonder what we really got ourselves into some days." Archer sighed. "You have to admit that there are days that we're in way too deep. I mean I don't even know why we do it anymore."

"Because digging out from under all this shit would be too hard." She looked at him. "I mean we're going to have to massively seal up some of these files. I mean we should've been held on counts of treason by now."

--

September 2176

"You all settled in yet?" The Admiral met the Captain for lunch. "I mean I'm used to this place by now, but it's not the easiest one to get used to Travis."

"We're getting used to it. The girls are settled into school, the apartment is coming together." Mayweather smiled at his superior. "Maggie's been wonderful in making sure Grace is fitting in with her group of friends. That's a major help with the adjustment process. I know you and Ambassador Archer say she's unbearable at times, but we appreciate it Hoshi. It's such an adjustment for the girls."

"They have solid heads on their shoulders they should be fine. Grace is such a sweetheart too, I only wish my own child was as polite." Sato giggled. "I really think we're way too lenient on her, our lives revolve around Maggie, and I'm going to regret it one day."

"That's only because you weren't a young mother, and your husband waited for years before he had a daughter to treat like a princess." The Captain spoke diplomatically. "Trust me, my daughters have their moments too. It's about being a kid."

"Not nearly as bad as Maggie, I'm not looking forward to Jon's reaction in a few years when the boys start showing up. She's already a little flirt, and I know she gets that from me." The admiral sighed. "Maybe hanging out with your extremely grounded daughter will help, but somehow I doubt my child will ever be fully behaved and normal. We're not exactly candidates for parents of the year."

"We spent a week on Vulcan a few months ago, if I didn't know better I'd swear Charlie was being raised by Trip. You wouldn't even guess that he is half-Vulcan with the way he acts." Mayweather looked at her. "Just think if Maggie ends up with him, what a disaster your grandchildren will be."

"That's what Jenna keeps telling us. Jon fights back with that Bella's going to marry Charlie and it'll be their issue not ours." Sato nodded, not wanting to jinx anything of what she had created. "But hey, if we keep it in the family, we'll have several decent generations of Admirals. Can't go wrong with that in my opinion."

--

June 2177

"It's on my terms." Bit looked at her superiors and arched her eyebrow. "We're going to be doing it my way, I want no interference from headquarters period."

"Deal." The Ambassador looked at her and nodded. "Pick your city, you can have your people. I understand your need not to have us interfering with everything."

"No you don't." She sighed. "This is about taking a bunch of renegades and making an agency. I know how things are currently, I need so much more than that. It's my vision here."

"Okay, pick where you want your headquarters, I'll give you the building, and the current group of officers currently doing the work. They'll quit answering to Starfleet the minute you're all set-up." Her superior nodded. "I'm personally going to want some accountability for at least the next few years. But that's only when it comes to your Starfleet."

"I'll have full control over my civilians. I mean I'm talking linguists, analysts, and a medical staff." Bit laid it out. "I want an agency not a bunch of commandos. And as long as there is oversight we will be renegade commandos. This is the last conversation we will be having about all of this."

"Fine." The Ambassador knew she was right. "Thank-you. I know you won't screw it all up Bit."

--

October 2177

"Don't give me that look." She collapsed onto the couch in their quarters. "Just don't start with me just yet, I need some decompression time first. It was too long of a day."

"I'm not going to say anything." He looked at his fiancée. "It's only a few more weeks until we're in London, in a normal house. Away from this insanity."

"Your reasoning is wonderful sometimes. This insanity is just starting to begin, you and I both know that." She sighed. "I mean, I got you sucked up into this insanity, you have no clue how much harder it's going to be. If you want to leave me for a normal life, I wouldn't blame you."

"What matters is we'll be together. That's all that matters Beth. Your secrets are safe with me, there's so few of us who know exactly who you are it doesn't matter in the end." He sighed. "You sure we'll be able to do this, I mean they're entrusting us with a lot."

"We're capable of it. We've been through more than enough training. I've been groomed to do this job since I was a kid." She attempted to smile. "Plus, it's not like you have no tactical experience whatsoever, and it'll be nice to have a legitimate name that I get to keep. I'm sick and tired of changing aliases every time I move around. I know it's a lot asking you to do it."

"I'm doing it because I want to." He slinked on the couch next to her. "That and I love you Elizabeth, I don't care what name you're currently going by. Even if it means having this whole thing be your child. I understand that."


	4. Chapter 4

2181

"Like usual I'm playing second fiddle to her." The teenager sighed to her best friend as they walked along the corridors. "I'll always be second best as long as she's in one piece."

"Cry me a river Margaret. I'm playing my mirco violin for you." Grace Mayweather rolled her eyes at Margaret Archer. "Think of it as a free dinner. Smile, nod, and pretend that you want to be here. Plus have you seen Charlie? Having that view around will make it worth it. He makes Dan look puny."

"I had dinner with him last night, Mom and Dad went out with Mike and T'Pol, so it just made sense. He's still Charlie-even if he looks like that. And this is the last place I still want to spend my day." Archer smiled. "I'm the weird side show child. As long as this ship is around, I'll always be the wired side-show child of the Captain and his comm officer."

"You could always be the weird gorgeous half-Vulcan son of the dead Chief Engineer sideshow. I mean look at that, he's definitely getting more stares than you are." Mayweather turned her gaze to him and waved for him to join them. "Are you as bored as we are Charlie? I mean I'm not the weird side-show that you two are and I'm finding it unbearable. It's probably as much torture for you as it is for Maggie."

"Maggie's a side-show because she lets herself be a side-show." The college student looped his arm protectively around her waist. "It's all an underlying cry for attention that she doesn't typically get at home. The Admiral and the Ambassador are too focused on everything else to make their child the number one priority. Because of that, Maggie needs to be the center of some universe. That's why she's carrying out more than anyone else about being here."

"Thanks." Archer rolled her eyes. "I don't have this utter need to be the center of attention for your information. It's just difficult having a ship be more important to my parents than I am or ever will be."

"At least you have both your parents around." Tucker looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You can have a mother who spent the first decade of your life consumed in grief and then goes on and marries a man who tries to be a father, but in the end fails miserably at getting along with you. There are truly days that I wonder what Mom ever possibly saw in him. The man's an asshole most of the time."

"One word: curfew. You two have it a lot easier when it comes to discipline in comparison to me." Mayweather interjected their bubble. "With the way Dad is, I'll be luck if I date before I'm forty. You two get away with murder compared to the ship that I live on."

"So cry me a river Grace." Archer laughed as she leaned back into him. "I mean things all happen for a reason. At least you know where you're parents stand in terms of what you do with your life. You could be playing second fiddle or dealing with the step-father from hell."

"Uh-huh." Mayweather looked at her best friend. "Somehow I doubt you two just had dinner last night, I can see it in your face Maggie. No wonder why you were so freaking non-chalant when I said looking at Charlie made this day worth it. He's only looking at you. It's actually quite sickening."

2182

"It's who I need. There are no qualms about it." The director sat across from her superior. 'It's a non-negotiable."

McKenzie glared at her protégé. "You're more stubborn than your parents combined. That's not a good thing all the times. Please tell me you don't want him covert. He's just a first year cadet for bloody's sake. I don't want to force my son to give up his youth."

"A first year who's scores were off the charts." She raised an eyebrow and looked at her mentor. "No, I don't want him fully covert, but I need him. Let's face y'all know Hoshi and Malcolm are not immortal, we need a strong fleet officer who's one of us. Dan's our best option. Even if Charlie went anywhere near fleet, he wouldn't be a good choice. Explaining it all to him would give me way too big of a headache."

"I would like to see that conversation." The Sergeant Major leaned back in her chair. "Charles, we think you're ideal for this line of work. And by the way I'm your older sister who everybody thought died as a baby. As for Dad, well he went into hiding for a bunch of years because someone needed to take care of a six year old me. He thinks I've been dead for the last ten years, when in reality Dr. Phlox, Ambassador Archer, and Mrs. Reed kept me alive so I can go and do this. We all knew at sixteen I was perfect for the job. And as for Mike—well he's really Trip Tucker, but they just couldn't resurrect him from the dead. Our mother knows it's him, she has from the beginning, so you can go ahead and get all pissy with the two of them. Just don't say anything about me still not being dead."

"If he's that head over heels in love with Maggie Archer, I don't want him anywhere near this life." The director ran her hand through her hair. "It takes a special person with amazing patience to live this type of life. I'm just happy I have a husband who understands what I do and why I do it. I'd be screwed if I didn't."

"We'd all be screwed." McKenzie sighed. "As for Charlie, he's young and just like your father. I really think his infatuation with Maggie Archer will just be a phase. I can see him happily settled on Vulcan living the life of an Academic, 30 years from now he might be exactly what you need."

"I just hope you're right Jenna." She smiled. "But bringing him in even 30 years from now would require way too much explanation. Even explaining to Dan who I really am is something I'm going to try to avoid at all costs. It's just easier if only five of us know that I'm Elizabeth Tucker. I mean there's a reason why I've been technically dead since I was six months old. I mean there are days that it just really sucks."

2183

"Dan and Grace are making bets on to how long we'll last, so much for your two best friends supporting you." Charlie Tucker looked at her. "And I can guarantee your mother and Mike are right there with them on it."

"So let them." Archer sat down and curled up to her fiancée. "Please, they'll probably have a pool going as to how many days before the wedding we call it off. It's all part of what Grace and Dan do, it's why we love them. I'll just make it a point to find the world's worst bridesmaid dress for her to wear."

"It's your practical sarcasm that I love most about you." He kissed her. "I still can't believe that we did this."

"Sweetie it would've been unbelievable if we ran off and eloped before I started at Stanford. But we didn't." She smiled at him warmly. "It's just not enough time to plan the wedding I want. Let's just get through this engagement party first. If it's that bad I might consider the elopement before Stanford thing."

"Dan is exactly what she needs. I hate that we're no longer the ones in charge." McKenzie sighed as she sipped her wine. "She's been pressuring me for the last nine months, I'm going to have to tell him eventually."

"We agreed years ago that we couldn't be the ones doing this forever." The Admiral looked at her. "I have nothing but confidence in the director, she's doing it for a reason Jen. Yes, we know she's young but we wouldn't have tapped her if I didn't think she was good at what she did."

"Remind me to bring that out as the 'I told you so' when she wants Maggie." The Sergeant laughed. "But then again taking Maggie would mean taking Charlie if they actually go through with this notion of getting married. And we know she wouldn't dream of bringing Charlie anywhere near her precious baby."

"Can you blame her, with the amount of explaining she would need to do. I mean it's not like he wouldn't make the connection quickly. There isn't a plethora of Vulcan-Human hybrids floating around." Sato sighed. "And come on, Charlie finds out Trip's been raising him all these years. The way they fight, it wouldn't be pretty."

"We never said the plan was perfect." McKenzie put down her wine glass. "We can't try to rework it every time there's some minor explosion. We have to let this whole thing work out its own kinks. It will do that with time."

"I sure hope so. Otherwise we're going down as the fabricators of a giant mess." Sato looked at her with an Admiral's glare. "After everything I've done in my career, I'm sure as hell not going down in history as a screw-up. I've worked too hard. Plus, it would destroy Jon, with everything he's accomplished, no one needs to know about the secret part of his career. I'm not letting my husband throw away his political future because of our little scheme."

--

2184

He found what he was looking for without much effort--the details had been spotty he knew why. His mother had informed him that it wasn't his choice, he was what the director wanted it wasn't worth fighting it. He opened the gate to the brownstone's garden, Daniel Reed knew his career as a Starfleet officer was about to take on a very different path.

"I'm pleased that you could make it." The director stood in the shadow of the doorway of her headquarters. "Why don't you come on in so I can at least give you some explanation Dan. You need to make an informed decision, no some rash one that Jenna told you to make. Your mother taught me every thing I know, but there are times she seems to forget this isn't an easy choice to make."

"Just Mom?" Reed looked her over, he knew those eyes from somewhere he just couldn't place it. "I'm not totally oblivious to what I grew up around Ma'am. My sisters might be, but I know fully well they are a lot more than a MACO and a tactical officer. "

"They've been more for years. Your father's been intelligence since the day he walked into Starfleet. He's just kept it hidden utterly well for years." She allowed him to see her face in the light. "The way your mother works, she was perfect for it. And yes I am who you suspect I am. I can see it in your face that you know. Expression training is going to be your first priority."

"How? You died as a baby." He looked at her in shock. "Or at least that's what we were brought up believing. Who knows that you're still alive?"

"Your parents, the Archers, and Dr. Phlox and that's it. My husband knows some, but not all of it." She pushed her hair back behind her ears. "My parents think I've been dead for almost fifteen-years now. No one around here knows I'm her. My first order is for you to say nothing of this."

"I wouldn't know where to start." Reed knew he was in now. "You're obviously not brining me in covert until after I finish at the Academy. I only have a semester left, even you guys aren't that irrational."

"You're not going to be covert. I need a strong officer to monitor what goes on in the day to day running of the fleet." The director smiled. "I need an officer that's not going to arise suspicion and you're it Dan."

"I'm in. Though I'm sure you never suspected that I would even dream of saying no." The Cadet smiled. "I just have one question, you said your parents. Didn't Trip Tucker die right before the Federation Charter was signed?"

"All part of Admiral Sato's little scheme. Someone needed to raise me. One of my parents was the most logical choice." She paused. "His injuries were pretty much superficial. I grew up in a safe house on Alpha Centuri. He's still alive, but obviously not living as Trip Tucker anymore."


	5. Chapter 5

2186

"It's your judgment call to make, I trust you." He listened to the message his superior had left him. "You know who you can trust. And if she's the answer it's all you Dan." Her take on the thing hadn't been that much of a surprise. They had a relationship of trust.

He smiled as she joined him for dinner. "Don't expect anything from me just because you're paying for dinner Ensign. I'm not that type of girl."

"Very funny." Reed looked at her. "And if you agree to what I want you to do, this dinner is my ultimate bargain. I have 2 sisters who if I was laying there dying would be arguing over who got what of mine. You would be the one there trying to save me Grace, which is exactly why I trust you unconditionally."

"So what is it you're going to trust me with?" Mayweather sipped her martini. "You've been having a torrid affair with Maggie and she's divorcing Charlie to go off and marry you? You don't hide the jealously well Dan."

"I've learned to redirect it." He sighed. "There's just something about Maggie, it's been like that since we were little, she doesn't need to know I'm madly in love with her. And you're not to say boo to her about it Grace. Let her be happy in her marriage. So no, I'm not having a torrid affair with our dear Mrs. Tucker."

"Then what is this secret?" She looked right back at him. "It has to be good, if it's a trust issue Dan. I mean you are going to tell me, despite my Maggie quip right?"

"I sort of have to, even if it means letting you stew because of the Maggie quip." Reed allowed himself to smirk. "About two years ago, I was approached to do something a little extra with my career. I accepted in a matter of minutes. Now, my director wants me to have a confidant that can be my equal, someone to do the job with me. Someone with no connection at all to Starfleet."

Mayweather perked her head with interest. "What type of extra curricular activity are we talking about Daniel? I mean will it mean forgetting about me actually having a family and a career? Because if it's that what it means I want to hear nothing more. You can save yourself the breath and the problems that will arise."

"I won't say anything for the rest of dinner." He grabbed for his beer. "I'm going to send you home with a pad, read it, and let me know tomorrow. I'm serious about you being the only one I would trust with my life."

"For that I'll say yes." She smiled. "But I'm taking the 24 hour thing to figure out what I'm exactly saying yes to. Knowing you, I could be working as some paid assassin on Kronos. It's not exactly the career path I ever imagined myself on. Then again it would make my writing more interesting."

xxx

2187

"What?" Archer dropped his bag down in the foyer and took in his wife's face. "You want peace, that means I head out to negotiate, you know that's part of the deal Hoshi."

"Do you want to go and kill Charlie, or do you want me to order one of my minions to do it?" Sato looked at her husband with disdain. "No I did not lose out to Trip on that little bet we made just yet. It's worse. Much much worse."

"Our twenty-two year old daughter is not divorcing the husband we both lectured her on that she was way to young to marry. You've seemed to go greyer at the temples since I left a month ago." He cracked a smile. "I'm taking a guess our twenty-two year old rebel of a daughter has decided that after 6 months in uniform, she's bored with it all. She's resigning her commission."

"If only." The Admiral began her rant. "Okay, we were not the ideal age to become parents, I think we would've been better if we were a decade younger, but still. We were established in our careers, we had a house, we had lives. Our daughter can't go ahead and do it that way. I bit my tongue when at sixteen, she started seeing and spending every free moment with the son of our best friends. It killed me to do it, but I did. It was supposed to be a Maggie phase, being infatuated with the mysterious half-Vulcan who's still off in la-la land trying to find himself. She has to go and get married to him at 19, okay I dealt with that, not that well but I did. She at least had the decency to finish college. She doesn't want to spend a decade doing a doctorate, I can totally understand that. I spent my twenties miserable with the studying, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. You're a former air jock who never went to grad school and you came out okay in the end. Granted, that's all thanks to me, but I digress."

The Ambassador went over and kissed his wife in the hopes it calm her down. "I know a large part of me is me because of you Hosh. I've known that for a long time. It's my brawn and your brains which make us work. Now before you go on ranting about how we failed at raising the perfect child, I have to ask. If she's not divorcing Charlie and she didn't go AWOL, what did she do to set you off like this?"

"She had to go and get pregnant! We raised a self-centered brat who's no where near grown up enough to be a parent. Charlie's no better than she is, do we want to imagine how screwed-up what's probably going to be our only grandchild will be?" She brushed her hair out of her eyes. "It's Maggie we're talking about, we screwed her up so much that I doubt she'll ever be a fully functioning member of society."

"One of them will pull it together. We pulled it together and we were no way ready to be parents when Mag was born." He smiled. "And we were a lot older and more stubborn than they were. Could you quit being such a worry wart until after she has the baby?"

"Do I look old enough to be a grandmother here?" Sato looked at her husband and caught herself. "Don't even go there if you don't want to spend the next week sleeping on the couch Jon."

xxx

June 2188

"You have to be shitting me Grace." Reed leaned back into his bunk. "Maggie and Charlie living on two separate planets? That can't possibly be."

"He's doing his research, she's working her ass off at headquarters. Scary part is, she let him take the baby. Quinn's 4 months old and she's already over being a mother." Mayweather's voice boomed over the speakers. "She's become totally indifferent to everything."

"IS anybody saying anything about post-partum depression?" He sighed. "Because that's what it sounds like to me. But sending the baby with Charlie to Vulcan? That's a serious issue."

"Or that she got bored with the whole notion of being a mother. It is Maggie we're talking about, we all had a pool going at the wedding." She adjusted herself in her office chair. "She's never been fully stable about anything. I love the girl to death, but she is a psychologist's dream."

"She can be your case study." Reed cracked a laugh. "Besides the gossip, I'm transmitting you in the report that everyone's freaking about. Could you sugar coat the situation up a bit. I know how unbearable Bit must be lately. I don't need her barking at me. Especially over a secured sub-space channel."

"How bad is it? WE only sugar coat in extreme situations." She hated being the one stuck in their office most days. "And if I sugar coat it, I get the next field assignment. It's about time we do something that doesn't involve passage on a Starfleet ship anyway. I'm sure Grandma could use my help for a couple of months."

"Just make this report sound like it's supposed to sound." He hid his gullibility. "If we're going to be having issues with the Klingons, they might as well be fun issues. Talking about how Dr. Phlox messed up their genetic structure just isn't believable anymore. We need a juicy reason for tension."

"Dan, I think fucking with their genetic structure is enough of a reason." She giggled. "I'm just amazed how they managed to get away with what they did half the time. I mean they didn't have us to go around cleaning up their messes."

"Everyone was a lot more naïve 30 years ago. Things changed when they formed the Federation." Reed sighed. "Bit's a big part of that, she knows and wants to keep things under the radar so not to scare everyone else."

xxx

July 2188

"I think I made a massive mistake Daddy." The Ensign sighed as she wiped away a tear. "I wouldn't be surprised if my marriage is over."

"Let Charlie finish his research before you jump to that conclusion Margaret." Archer looked at his daughter. "I mean having him take Quinn might have been stupid, but you knew in your heart it was the best choice to make."

"What type of mother sends her infant son light years away?" She pushed the tears out of her eyes. "I mean Charlie knew we weren't ready to be parents. I mean I can still barely take care of myself. Yet, here he is immediately becoming Super Dad, the minute I gave birth."

The legend knew better than to tread anything but lightly with his daughter, it was just he way she was. "So Charlie picked up parenting faster than you did. That doesn't mean you can't be a good wife and mother peanut. You really underestimate yourself most of the time. The way your career is already going."

"My career is not going to make any difference if my own child won't talk to me." The young mother sighed. "I wasn't cut out to be a full-time parent and I know it. How sad is that, that my baby's only six months old and I already know I'm going to fail in raising him."

"We all have our weaknesses Mags, I think over time you'll overcome them." He let his daughter cry into his shoulder. "Give it some time, things will work out the way they're supposed to."

xxx

October 2188

He stood at the door of her office and stared her down. The Ensign refused to look up from the release she was working on, once she heard he was at headquarters she knew he would be around. She was not going to give her tormentor the pleasure of a visual acknowledgment. "What do you need Dan?"

"A place to crash. Everyone else is off planet on assignment and I'm being booted off ship for two weeks. You and Charlie are my only options and that husband of yours is untraceable like always." Reed pleaded. "If I promise to be good can I crash on your couch? Pretty please Maggie?"

"Charlie's no where to be found because he's taken and Quinn and gone to Vulcan for a few months. We need some time apart." Margaret Archer gave him a glare from her desk. "Or at least that's what we're telling people. I filed the divorce papers two days ago. I'll tell Mom and Dad when they get home; it ain't going to be pretty."

"You let him take Quinn?" He tried to take in the news; it was two of his best friends they were talking about. The marriage was an odd match, but still they had been crazy about each other since they were teenagers, it wasn't supposed to end like this. "Are you two at least talking?"

"Just the basic pleasantries about Quinn." She kept a stoic face. "I'm giving him custody. They'll be better off without me. It's the only way to make my life work and not have my son resent me. You can have the spare bedroom for as long as you need."

"Thanks Maggie." He accepted the spare set of keys that she kept in her desk. "We'll talk over drinks tonight. You probably need someone to vent to."

"Like you wouldn't believe Dan." The Ensign smiled. "It's just been a tough month; you might be dealing with me in hysterics. I won't charge you rent because of it."


	6. Chapter 6

June 2190

She adjusted the brim of her hat as she leaned back into the beach chair to begin yet another day of surveillance. Mayweather internally cursed her partner for bringing her into this whole mess. But she wasn't complaining about the three weeks she was spending supposedly relaxing on Risa. There could be worse assignments and she knew it. It was just after two weeks and still not enough movement to do her job, she was actually starting to get bored. Her first novel had sold enough copies that her month long sabbatical was at least feasible for her real life.

He smiled as he sat down in the chair next to her. "Did you think I was going to let you have all the fun now Grace?" The Lieutenant Commander winked at her seductively. "Plus you said even from the beginning there was one thing that you could never see yourself doing."

"I've grown from that Dan." She reached for his hand. "It was getting boring being here by myself. Did you find the apartment okay? I think it's quaint and perfect. Have I missed much besides the usual reports?"

"Maggie's actually getting married again. I think we're all in shock over that one. She says this time she won't freak out and get a divorce." He paused. "He's a flight instructor at the Academy, nice guy, but he's even more her opposite than Charlie is. Nate's a great guy, it's just that Maggie can be a handful, I'm not sure if even I'd be willing for that challenge."

"You would thrive with that challenge. You've pined for her so long that it would be a moment of glory." She stroked his hand. "But you could do a lot better than Maggie, and we both know that. We're having dinner out tomorrow night, I think we could get it done then, but frankly I'm enjoying myself here."

He grabbed her and pulled her on top of him, not caring what anyone else was thinking. It was part of how they worked, the Starfleet officer and his talented writer girlfriend who put up with his career. The act was one that didn't take long to perfect. Reed kissed the back of her neck. "I needed this few weeks with you, it was getting too boring out on ship."

"I'm sure it was." She smiled at him seductively. "But one of these days I'm going to get fed up with you being Starfleet and find myself a nice lawyer to marry. I'm not the type of girl to sit around waiting Daniel. Especially with the way you pine for a certain Public Affairs officer that you can't have."

August 2190

She reached for the trash can in her office. Keeping her puking quiet was an art form she had perfected while she was pregnant with her son. Archer just never thought she would need to use it again. Her career was too important, nothing was going to slow it down. If she got through her current bout, she would be fine when she met her mother for lunch.

The admiral noticed the look in her daughter's eyes as she joined her in the Officer's club. Sato simply shook her head. "You're not even married yet this time Margaret. And you shipped Quinn off with Charlie when he was barely six months old, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"That obvious?" the Lieutenant sighed and protectively placed a hand on her midsection. "or is the fact that I'm puking my guts out making it through headquarters. Because it's eight times worse than it was with Quinn. I can only silently puke so many times in a row."

"I'm your mother, I notice things like this. How soon until I get another grandchild out of you anyway?"Sato leaned back into her chair. "No one is actually saying anything about the noise, but the stench is becoming noticeable Mag."

"I'm 12 weeks in, so just about done with the first trimester, and no it was not the reason we got engaged mother." Archer looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, I'm not nearly as immature as I was a few years ago. It'll be different this time, the baby won't seem as alien as Quinn did."

"If you think so. Nate's also no Charlie. I mean I like him as an officer, but if you're gung ho on marrying him, Dad and I need to get to know him." She sighed, the sigh that she only used around her daughter. "Quinn's happy on Vulcan, don't go thinking that you'll have him back here in heartbeat. It's not fair to him."

"I know, I let that get destroyed when he was barely an infant. And I like Asil, she's what Charlie should've married in the first place. If it means my son is more Vulcan than human, well I did that to myself." The young woman looked absentmindedly around. "I'll pull it together somehow. Hopefully this time I'll do it right, and I won't go running to divorce court before my daughter's first birthday."

January 2192

"Have a seat?" The station chief looked at her husband's step-father. "It's not a request Commander Tucker."

"Does Charlie know?" Trip looked at her with wide eyes. "I've been called into your office, so I'm assuming he doesn't."

"Not that I know of, and he's told me a lot over the last two years. If he did, I think you two would get along better." Asil leaned back in her chair. "I have the final approval on transmission over the secure to London—it's one of those things I know, your signature never changed. And I suspected it before I took over this office last month Mike."

"Quinn, that's why isn't it? I know it's a little scary how much he resembles me Sil. The boy is a pure Tucker." Trip eased his facial expression. "It is a little obvious to him, I know Charlie is oblivious to some things, but that one is hard to miss."

"If he wants to not see it he won't. The same way no one saw your daughter for six years." She kept her composure. "Just let T'Pol know I'm not being vindictive sitting on this, it wouldn't be logical to overreact, intelligence knows, I wanted you to have the heads up."


	7. Chapter 7

October 2193

"Don't say it Dad. I know you're dying too just please don't." She parked the stroller in her parents foyer then reached in and took out her daughter. "I'm looking for a place, Ellie and I shouldn't be here disturbing you sleep too long."

The President of the United Federation of Planets just smiled. He had promised his wife he wouldn't give her massive grief. "Ellie's not the one I'm worried about, she probably has no clue what's even going on. Now once that destructive disaster of a son comes in for his annual visit, that's when I'll start worrying."

"You haven't heard Ellie scream. She sounds just like Nate, it's a little too scary." She adjusted the infant in her arms. "I love my daughter unconditionally, but I'd rather not constantly hear the voice of the man who left me for a newly commissioned ensign."

"You two are welcome here as long as you need to Maggie." He took his granddaughter. "What's the point in being a grandfather if I can't spoil you kids? And it's not like we don't have the room to put you up."

"The big kid is due back on planet in a few months. I'll find a place before Dan comes home." She allowed herself a smile. "That is unless you want a son, he'd gladly adopt you for a couch and food. At least I have one constant man in my life, even if it is Dan."

"Dan's a good friend, you know that." The legend smiled. "There's a reason why we always stayed close to Malcolm and Jenna, it was because they are the ones that will always have your backs. Yes you'll owe Dan for it eventually, but it'll be worth it. Plus you need that stability."

"Very funny Dad." She rolled her eyes at her father. "I have things fairly in order now. Okay, did I expect to be on divorce number 2 and raising my daughter on my own? Not at all. But I think I'll hold up okay. It just means no ship assignments anytime soon, I can handle working public affairs for the rest of my career if need be."

April 2194

"I still can't believe this one even from you." Mayweather leaned back into her beach chair. "Could you be a bigger idiot Dan? Really? It's the stupidest thing you've ever done."

"Thanks for your support Grace." Reed looked at her with disdain. "It was one stupid weekend, and it's not like I won't be around for Ellie, I'm already there more than Nate ever will be."

"The trace on him, something about him just doesn't feel right." She reached for her margarita. "I mean we need something if we want him out of the picture. It's reasoned as my gut instinct. A man with his aptitude scores as a flight instructor just doesn't fly right."

"You are a goddess Grace." He squeezed her knee. "Thank-you for keeping me fairly out of it. We'll have to neutralize him eventually, that's a given."

January 2195

The lieutenant finished unpacking the last box; it had only taken her the better part of a year. She was impressed with how well the place had come together. Most important, it was an escape from San Francisco, her sanctuary away from her office.

"I like it Mags." He stood on her deck holding a bucket of liquor. "Do I still have a room? Or do I have to find a new couch to crash on?"

"You have the guest suite, though I'm going to start charging you rent Dan." Archer reached to give him a hug. "I think this place is perfect, so I'm holding you to a higher standard of behavior here. That means food and booze whenever you're staying for more than a week."

"That's my girl. The grill is getting delivered later on today, I'm not going to be here for a month and eat nothing but take-out." He picked her up and spun her around. "So any boyfriend I need to know about at the moment?"

"My divorce isn't final for at least another 3 weeks" She smiled at him. "It's after the proper period as the pitiful two time divorcee that I'll worry about dating again. Quinn needs time to adjust to just me again."

"The divorce is taking longer than the actual marriage." Reed snickered sarcastically. "Quinn met ex-husband number 2 all of 2 times. I think he'll be fine with any adjustment."

"Still I worry about him. He's such an old eight, I know it's my fault for sending him with Charlie, but it's what I had to do." Archer sighed. "Remind me to schedule a sterilization appointment, the last thing everyone needs is for me to unleash another child on this galaxy."

"Quinn's a kid who knows himself, being your offspring he needs to be. And you do have maternal bones in your body; you just need to let them develop." The Commander smiled. "So how the press office is treated you during the first month anyway?"

"It's going to be at least another year before I have them trained, but it's going well." She allowed a smile to escape. "They definitely give me a run for my money. But, the margaritas help. It also helps that Mom basically has threatened any male office in San Fran with demotion and brig time if they go near me in this vulnerable state."

"Now that's funny." Reed failed to suppress his laughter. "The last thing the daughter of Hoshi Sato and Jonathon Archer will ever be is weak and vulnerable. You're way too stubborn and headstrong to be that. Maybe that's why you have two marriages behind you and you're barely 30. And I hear that scream, I take it she's up from her nap?"

"You want headstrong and stubborn, that's my Ellie." She started up the stairs. "Now if only I could send her off to her father for a few months. Would serve him right for the hell he's been putting me through."

He watched her run up the chairs and shook his head. Part of him knew that she knew, but in her mind she would never consider it. They hadn't been themselves that weekend, it was one of the largest mistakes of his life, sleeping with her when they were drunk beyond oblivion. Reed had to do something to make the situation right, her soon to be ex-husband knew that precious little girl wasn't his. That much was certain.

February 2195

The Admiral didn't rush. It was not her nature to look frantic around headquarters. She had an image to keep up, both as an officer and as her husband's wife. However, as a mother and a grandmother, what she just found out made her sick to her stomach. Sato knocked on the door of her daughter's office and handed over a padd.

"Guess I don't have to worry about the divorce then do I?" The Lieutenant's eyes bugged out. "Are you shitting me Mom? We haven't had a fatal flight accident in decades, and it has to be the man I'm in the process of divorcing. I don't know whether to cry in frustration or laugh in victory."

"After everything you've dealt with, he goes and dies on you. I can get someone else to do the briefing if you want to go pick up Ellie." Sato didn't know exactly know how her daughter would take it all in. "The whole mess is over. And I see the irony in it all too—if you need Dad and I to take Ellie for a few days as you deal with it all, we can."

"We'll be fine." She looked at the picture of her daughter on her desk. "It means I'll be here for the next decade or so, but I can deal with that. There could be worse things that I have to deal with. And you've given me grief about my divorce from Charlie since it happened, I'll attempt to be a half-decent mother this time."

_The op leaned back in her chair and smiled. It was done, they had no choice but to get it done. He had become too much of a risk over the last few months. She reached for the communication to let her partner know that he wasn't a threat anymore. Part of her was sick to her stomach that they actually pulled it off. Most of her was elated that her instinct had once again proven right._

_He had been back on ship a week, he knew it was better if he wasn't there when it happened. He had seen stress that everything had placed on the press secretary. She was the public face of the Fleet, if she had one major thing gone from her life, she would give a much cleaner presentation. The clean presentation was the only thing that could keep them afloat._


	8. Chapter 8

January 2198

Jonathon Archer looked at his assistant and sighed. "I should be used to this planet by now. The heat shouldn't nearly get to me the way it used to. What's on the agenda for today anyway Sarek? I know I have lunch scheduled with Quinn, but beyond that I have no clue."

"The usual meetings that you will end up forgetting about sir." The young Vulcan spoke to him dryly. "There was a communiqué from the Admiral. She wanted to let you know that your daughter has once again become betrothed and is working on setting a wedding date. She would appreciate it if you could notify young Mr. Tucker about his mother's upcoming nuptials."

"That will go over real well with him. Though I have to admit I like this boyfriend a whole lot more than I like her last husband, but with my daughter I have sadly come to expect the unexpected." He leaned into his chair. "I have a feeling Ellery is going to rebel and marry young and stay married until she dies. And knowing her, she'll simply do nothing but pop out babies. All because she thinks it might piss off her mother."

"Your granddaughter is a very level headed child. You have to give Maggie credit for that, she could be raising a child that's as an emotional wreck as she is." Sarek looked at the Federation president with a raised eyebrow. "Asil wants to speak to you before you have lunch with Quinn. She said you don't need a reference."

"We're past the reference stage. I'll give her a call since I have a few minutes. You don't need to be here Sarek, I know you have other work that needs to be done." Archer dismissed his aide and reached for the secure communicator. "What's the issue? If it was Quinn related I would be hearing it when I came to pick him up for lunch."

"I know about Trip Tucker, he and T'Pol know I know. They don't know that I report to their daughter, and I'm keeping that quiet." Her delicate voice responded. "As my boys are getting older, it's a little bit evident that their foremother's husband is more than their foremother's husband. Yes, his marriage to your darling daughter made my husband oblivious to many things, but he'll even pick up on this one soon. That is unless he decides he doesn't want to."

"Give me time I'll figure something out." Archer smiled. "What does Bit have to say about this whole matter? And I don't think killing him is the answer. What's her logical and human answer?"

"To sit on it, it's part of my classified files. And I have, it's taken guts but I have. I'm just happy Charlie's never picked up on it." She gave an uncharacteristic sigh. "Especially with the way the two of them argue, there would be phaser fire over dinner."

"And T'Pol would be the one shooting them. Don't believe that she's the perfect Vulcan at all times." Archer chuckled. "I still he knows what's best for himself, it's his choice as to whether to tell Charlie or not. But if he does we can end up screwed in the end. And I'd rather not deal with Bit if we screw up. She has her father's temper."

"I know." The Vulcan paused. "There are no threats in this sector at the moment. You're free to go as you please, you can cut back your security detail. That's the official reason for my call."

"I was waiting for the clearance, I know Quinn hates eating at the compound." The President laughed. "Heads up since I know you love dealing with the Quinn moods. Maggie's getting married again, I'm breaking the news to him at lunch. It's not going to go over well."

"I'll heed the warning." She allowed a crack in her voice. "The joys of my boy and his moods. He's so being shipped off to his mother and whatever husband she happens to be on when he hits puberty. At least Charlie hasn't gone running from me yet. So it must've been Maggie with the issues in their marriage."

June 2198

The Director stood at the entrance to the townhouse with her arms crossed. "One of these days Grace. One of these days." She shook her head at the civilian op. "You're going to sit down and figure out a way for me to control him. That's all I want a way to reign him in."

"Not going to happen Bit. Don't try to scheme into happening." She edged her way into the building. "You knew what he was like when you recruited him. I gave him warning almost 5 years ago that I wasn't going to wait around forever. So don't even start with it's only happened since I got engaged."

"Yes, but when you were devoted to him, he was much easier to keep in line." Bit smiled. "He's now certain a random group of crewmen are spying for the Klingons. And he's trying to figure out how to quietly eliminate them."

"As long as one of them is not Maggie's fiancée I would trust him. Nate was a different story. It just happened that Dan was watching him solely because of Maggie. But his instincts are good." Mayweather smirked. "You and I both know we have to let him be his genius self."

"Yeah, but that scares me sometimes." The Director sighed. "I've been reading your latest, it's nice to escape in a romance novel Grace. You need to keep writing, you have as much talent as that as you do working for me."

"I could be writing espionage thrillers, but that's a little too close to home Bit." She smiled. "I'll try to talk some sense into Dan, but I'm not guaranteeing anything. His instincts are golden, we just have to let him run with some of them. Rumor around is that they're bringing him back to San Fran come next year. It'll definitely add an interesting dimension to say the least."

"I don't know if the city could survive Daniel Reed on a semi-permanent post. I know this place wouldn't." Bit raised an eyebrow. "Though it would be nice to have one of us take a vacation and not be carrying a secure communicator the whole time."

"Yes, but if we gave him that much power for a few weeks, who knows what he would do. I mean we could have the whole UFP destroyed in a matter of days." Grace smirked. "Remember that he has seniority over me in this little system you have created. We might need to do some serious rewriting of it."

"You have the creativity to go with it. I trust you. Plus, no one knows you do this." The Director smiled widely. "That's what makes my little scheme works. I'm dead and you have a creative job that allows you to work in an attic somewhere and no one questions it."

January 2200

"We don't have a choice." Asil sat with T'Pol out in the gardens. "Charlie should know before Mike dies as to who Mike really is. It wouldn't change much, but it would change some."

"I think if we hadn't done it, they would've been at each other's throats from the time Charlie started talking." T'Pol looked at her daughter-in-law. "Libby was so difficult, I think I would've been the one rushing to get away from here."

"You wonder what it would've been like, I know you do." The analyst adjusted her infant daughter in her arms. "He's been nothing but amazing with Quinn especially. It's like they're two kindred souls, I'm sure Quinn suspects something even if Charlie is dense about it. And I doubt Libby was ever really that difficult. It would've been tough, but it would've kept your family together."

"For some reason, I still have trouble believing that my son actually married a full blooded Vulcan Asil. You're too practical with some things, and I know that's not Charlie's human side rubbing off on you." She smiled. "I'm leaving it up to Mike, it's going to be his choice whether we tell Charlie or not. I mean you only know because of your line of work, if you were a civilian you wouldn't have a single clue about it. I still find it illogical that you figured it out so easily. I know Jenna trains her people to be the best, but still."

"It's only the tip of the classified information that I know." The younger woman raised an eyebrow. "Trust me, you don't want to know the half of it. Half the time I want to escape from it all, but I would have to be killed upon leaving. Not a logical choice then."

"I'll give you that much. I'm so thrilled I got out before they got too crazy in the way they do it." The legend leaned back into her chair. "She is after all these years still my dearest friend. Hoshi can just be crazy when it comes to things, and the way she handles the fleet is just that. Pragmatic yet dramatic. It's her enduring personality. Quinn still want to be that grandmother?"

"Serious about going Starfleet, what connections can you pull for me? He needs to be a much stronger student than he is. I mean if we can get him into prep, it would be ideal. Though hearing stories about what goes on at Starfleet headquarters, I don't know if they want another Archer in the officer core. I'm all for taking advantage of his heritage, but using Hoshi might be a little on the abuse of power side." She sighed. "Charlie's not thrilled about the idea, but he knows it's not worth fighting."

"I'll talk to Jon and Hoshi, we'll get him into prep and ship him off to Maggie." T'Pol reached for her granddaughter. "Then we just have to get you into the notion of being a Starfleet officer T'Meni, it'll balance out your brother's instability."


	9. Chapter 9

July 2203

"You're serious aren't you?" The press secretary leaned back in her chair and sipped her tea. "You are aware that you might not get your first born back in one piece Charlie. My daughter is worse than I was, and you do remember what I was like as a teenager. You did marry that thing."

"He wants the Academy and he got into the Prep. It's not like you're on ship posting Maggie." The half-Vulcan stared at his ex-wife over the sub-space channel. "That house of yours is just about as big as your father's beloved Enterprise--Dan can't live in more than two or three rooms. Quinn can inhabit some quarters for the two years. Just think how much you'll save in child support."

"Does your Vulcan wife get that sense of humor?" Archer smiled. "And for your information one of these days I'm planning to kick Dan out. It's just that I like the liquor and food that he provides in lieu of rent. Plus, he's the closest thing to a father that Ellie has, when you're widowed by a bastard like your successor, you need someone that loves your child unconditionally."

"That explains it all then. Part-time Daddy to Ellie and the booze. Now you having Dan there makes perfect sense." The professor smiled. "Quinn's going to come in with your mother next week, she figured if you said no to this whole scheme she could guilt you into it. Does your current know you have a sixteen year old son?"

"It's nowhere near serious, I only singed the divorce papers last week, at least this time there were no offspring involved, made it a lot easier than my first two divorces. I'll make Quinn a priority for a while. It might be nice to be Mom to a boy who doesn't share my brain. I mean you've met Ellie, I'm surprised that even Dan hasn't gone fleeing yet." She looked at her first husband. "So, Asil is okay with giving him up to me for 2 years. Not for nothing, she's been his mother in a lot more ways than I could ever be. I owe her for it."

"She knows, and she unfortunately is all supportive of his plans for a Starfleet career, she's not nearly as cynical about it as I am." Tucked laughed. "But now that T'Meni is up and walking she realizes how much different a daughter is than a son. She gets why you did what you did. Mags, even I get it. We were too young, now make up for that. Especially if Quinn wants to be an officer."

"So now, even after fifteen years of divorced bliss, you're giving me career grief." She smiled. "Dan's around next month, he'll convince him it's not a smart move. We know he's good for some things. Then again, I have his sub-orb in my garage. One spin in that and Charlie will be hooked for life."

August 2203

"She's still at the office Quinn, I know Grandma at least told you that." Ellery plopped up onto the kitchen counter and looked at her half brother. "If Mom isn't with a boyfriend she's at the office. And from what I know that since she divorced Mark, there is no boyfriend. Which makes me a little concerned."

"What's living with her really like Ellie?" Quinn looked at his human sister. "I would much rather stay with Grandma, but she pretty much didn't give me that option."

"That's just the Admiral in her. Malcolm is the same way." She smiled. "And yes I refer to Admiral Reed as Malcolm, I see him and Jenna enough, and they are Grandma's best friends. Mom will probably bring dinner home with her, but if you want a snack, there's stuff around. Uncle Dan's in town this week, so they'll eat then spend the night on the deck with beers, it's what they do."

"I guess there's just some adjustment for me to get used to. I promised I wouldn't go crying and running to San Fran for at least a month. Plus, I don't start school for another 3 weeks, I need time to get used to Earth again." He smiled back at her. "I'm so used to Vulcan--that it's going to be a major adjustment. Does she really keep a sub-orbital glider in the garage?"

"It's actually Uncle Dan's, and it flies half decently." Ellery kept it basic. "It's one of the things he keeps here when he's on ship. It's pretty cool to fly in."

"And you're not getting in it until you get your pilot's license." Reed balanced groceries as he entered the kitchen. "Either of you. IT's the new house rule, no one in the flyer if Dan's out on ship. One of you crashes it, you might as well all die, because it'll be less painful than the grief that follows."

"Yeah, but my children are more pigheaded and stubborn than I am. Don't think your threats will actually work Captain." Archer's heels clicked into her kitchen. "Quinn, I talked to prep this afternoon, you have orientation next week. It'll be good for you to really see how the commute isn't that bad."

"And with prep my chances for the Academy are good right?" He looked at his mother. "Because I really want the Academy Mom. It's scaring Dad, but I want to be Starfleet."

"As long as you don't fail anything you should be okay. And Stanford worked for me and Grandpa. Grandma did fine at Yale. You can be fine with not an Academy education. But if it's what you want—we'll get you in." Archer started unpacking dinner. "Let me just get this stuff away and out of uniform and we'll start dinner."

"Yeah, but I personally think the Academy is the way to go. Yeah, I'm biased, but I have a command and you don't Mags." Reed smiled. "Number one lesson Quinn—learn how to out think the public affairs officer."

"Shut-up Dan." The commander smiled. "Can you get the grill started? He's been here less than a day, he doesn't need your bullshit for at least another month."

"Or through another boyfriend." Ellery smiled from her post on the counter. "Don't give me that look Mom, you knew one of us would say it. And I'm supposed to be sweet and sarcastic I'm your child."

January 2204

It was going to be a long weekend. She sipped her coffee and started arranging the pads in front of her. "Am I getting my oldest child back in one piece or not?" She looked up to see the Vulcan station chief standing against the wall.

"Do you really want him back?" The second in command cracked up laughing. "I was over there for dinner last week, he's eating and breathing. So far no serious injuries to him or Maggie, but they still have 18 months to go."

"Problems with a Tucker male. Really? Never would've believed that one." Bit joined her staff. "I promise not to torture you guys too much this week. I'm past torturing people."

"Yeah right." The Vulcan looked at her apathetically. "If you were a pure Vulcan I might believe that, but being married to Charlie makes me very cynical of Human-Vulcan hybrids. I'm assuming this has a lot to do with the current Orion talks?"

"We're making strides, I think they'll make very strong allies in the end." Bit sunk into a chair. "I have concerns about how patriarchal of a society they are, but we can work with that. I mean there a lot worse allies that we can take than the Orions, we all know that."

"Like the Klingons." Mayweather put her coffee down. "And you know Dan would have no problem handling the Orions and their mysgonism. Hell an Orion slave girl might cure him of the Maggie issues finally. And we know the Maggie issues are too influential on his work sometimes."

"Which is why he's not here." Bit summed it up perfectly. "I know its best that not all my people know everything. It saves a lot of headaches in the end."

June 2204

"I don't care what Asil lets you get away with. In my house you'll follow my rules Quinn!" Archer let out an exasperated sigh as she continued to fight with her teenage son. "I know this isn't what you want Sweetie, but it's only for another year."

He almost threw a mug at her, but held back. "It's the last possible thing I want mother! You only seem to care about me when you're in between weddings." He sighed the same sigh. "You know you suck at this parenting thing Mom."

"No shit Charles." She bit back tears. "I've known that since you were a baby Quinn. Why do you think I let your Dad have custody and raise you on Vulcan? You were eight months old and I was already at my wits end with being your mother. My cold hearted unemotional half-Vulcan ex-husband was more loving and took better than my son than I could ever be. I'm trying here Quinn. I'm really trying."

"I know you are Mom. I'm not some ensign you can give orders too. Nor am I a reporter you can totally give bullshit stories too." Charles Tucker V let a small smile escape as her looked at his mother. "Uncle Dan's in next week on leave? Logically I think it would be awkward with you and your weddings after a while."

"You'll have an ally in your war against me."Archer rolled her eyes, she and her son fought way too much. "He's part of the package; any guy that dreams of dating me knows that. Plus he can cook; I have leftovers in the freezer for months. This place is his home as much as it is mine at this point. It's a nice respite when you're out of uniform."

"It is beyond tranquil down here. I'll give you that much. You did choose the perfect house." He raised an eyebrow. "I guess the commute is worth it. You really refuse to move back to San Fran don't you? Grandma can't be that bad?"

"More than you would ever know. I like the peace I get on my commute." The Starfleet Press Secretary let out a wide grin. "I talked to Charlie this morning. They'll be in orbit next month, he and Asil are coming down for a few days, and it'll be good for you to see your brother and sister. You need some R and R from good Old Mom and her military state."


	10. Chapter 10

April 2205

"You think she'll take it?" Reed sipped his beer as he sat on the deck, he had been debating it for weeks. As a Captain he needed input from the people who knew her best. "Charlie, she's the only one I trust, but it's Maggie we're talking about here. She hasn't had a ship assignment in over a dozen years."

"It depends. Is she planning for any wedding at the moment?" The history making half-Vulcan sipped a beer. "Aren't you going out on a multi-year run? Do you really want to be responsible for a Maggie Archer divorce? Or for that matter a Maggie Archer wedding? To her credit, she's still alive as is Quinn. She must know how to be somewhat diplomatic."

"Alive and survive are two different things my friend. There have definitely been things flying around here. Based on the stories, Quinn is your father reincarnated. An Ellie, well she's Maggie's daughter. I come in and we drink more than Maggie and I usually drink." The Captain cracked up laughing. "I think they finally agreed to a cease fire after she shot out with that it broke her heart that her cold hearted unemotional Vulcan ex-husband was a more loving parent than her."

"We all know that, I just never thought she would admit it." Tucker allowed his human side to show through his stern exterior. "Maggie has a command presence, people respect her. She'll make a hell of an XO Dan you don't need my opinion on that. You're willing to deal with her in close quarters for an extended period of time. You should consider having your head examined."

"Grace said the same thing." The Captain burst out laughing. "You're a bitter ex I expected that from you. From Grace I didn't, but then again she throws us sometimes."

"No, we're just realistic. We know and love our Maggie that's why." He watched his daughter cautiously dip her toe in the water. "I don't regret our marriage and there's still love between us. I'm just happy it wasn't a forever marriage. One of us would've been dead a decade ago if it was."

---

May 2205

"You have a moment?" The commander smoothed her uniform skirt as she walked into her mother's office. "I need your opinion on something."

"You can't pawn Quinn off on me." Hoshi Sato smiled at her daughter. "It's only another 3 months Margaret. You two haven't harmed each other seriously yet, you can make it until he goes off to the academy."

"I'm not pawning Quinn off on you. We're getting along perfectly fine. Which means Dan is out of several bets; Grace isn't going to let him live it down." She plopped down in the chair. "I got approached for an XO spot, I'm seriously debating it."

"I told Dan he needs his head examined and I know Dad and Malcolm said the same thing. Grace and Charlie both wanted to know if he really wants to brave you on ship." The commandment tried to keep from laughing. "You haven't been on ship in over a decade; it's not exactly the press office. You'll be working 24-7 for the better part of four years. It's going to be about disproving your beauty queen reputation. It would mean Ellie in boarding school, are you sure?"

"I'm quite aware of what my reputation is mom. We all know I'm capable of being a command officer. It's my chance to prove I'm not some pretty face. Plus Quinn doesn't need me to parent him, and it's not like I'm worrying about a marriage at this point. And I've put my career on hold for 14 years." Archer accepted her mother's glare. "Seriously there is no hint of another husband in the picture. With my batting average I should stay away from the marital alter. The wise ass teenager I'm raising told me that."

"No kidding. At your rate you'll be in double digits eventually."The legend knew her only child too well sometimes. "Just try not to cause too much havoc to my ship. That's all I'm asking Maggie, keep the ship in one piece. Otherwise, I think you'll learn and excel from the experience. And we'll take Ellie if you don't think boarding school will work. I actually like having my granddaughter around, makes me realize I didn't mess you up too much."

"Thanks for the confidence vote Mom." Archer smiled. "I'll let Ellie decide what she wants, we're not heading out to October. I'm still not sure if it's a good fit or not. I just wanted your opinions on the whole thing before I started packing."

---

June 2205

"Are you sure?" Mayweather looked at her partner and shook her head. "It's not too late to change your XO."

"You're not helping Grace." Reed looked right back at her. "She's mine, I ran the DNA test last week, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't use Maggie as my XO. She needs a chance to be more than a pretty face."

"Yeah, and the fact that you've been blindly in love with her for almost 3 decades is not going to influence your command at all." She arched her back. "Come on Dan, I think it's still a ludicrous idea. As much as I trust you, I don't trust you on this."

"I'll check in regularly." Reed sighed. "I promise I won't let having Maggie take over my brain. It's the flagship Grace, I'm not commanding a friggit. I didn't get the Enterprise for my cute face."

"No, you got it because they want Maggie out of headquarters, and they know you would bring her along with you." Mayweather smiled. "Just please, please, please behave yourself. I know you can't have too much liquor on ship, so that's a relief in a way."

"Thanks for being a cynic like usual." The Captain rolled his eyes. "I promise, I'll call in weekly, if you think I'm getting out of line you can scream all you like."

"That or I'll sic Bit on you, that'll put you back in line." She cracked up laughing. "Seriously, I'm trying to get pregnant here, dealing with you and an infant might very well push me over the edge. Especially if Greg can't easily defend me if he doesn't know about why you're driving me over the edge."

August 2205

She helped her son unpack into his dorm room. "I'm at headquarters for another month still. You can always pop in if you need to Quinn."

"I should be okay Mom. This really isn't any different than starting at prep. Only difference is I have the peace of not living in the circus you and Ellie call home." He smiled. "Thank-you by the way. I know I've been a pain in the ass the last two years."

"You're my child. And trust me it's kharma. I almost ran off and married your Dad before I even started Stanford, ant that was one of the quieter things I did as a teenager." The press secretary smiled. "Why do you think I'm spending Ellie's teenage years on ship?"

"Because you didn't torture Grandma enough when you were a teenager." He smiled. "Rick's coming into today, so I won't be totally alone for long. Apparently he's getting stuck with Grandma's linguistic class. I had no clue she still teaches."

"Every few years, she'll teach the basic course. Makes her feel less guilty about abandoning academia." The Commander laughed. "Plus who better to learn languages from than the woman who's wrote the Starfleet language standards. She's an enigma. You should know that by now Quinn."

"I figured that out a while ago. Part of prep instruction is the understanding that Admirals aren't normal people." Quinn paused. "Then again she's taking in Ellie when you go out on ship. I know that's totally Grandpa, he'll do anything for Ellie."

--


	11. Chapter 11

_April 2206_

_Mayweather made sure her husband was sound asleep before she trekked down to her office to take the secure call. "Do you have any clue that it's 3 am here? I really don't need to explain to Greg what I'm doing in my office in the middle of the night Dan. I'm not that much of an insomniac."_

"_I need you to talk me out of doing something stupid." Reed's shaky voice came over the signal. "I mean, I know I did it a year ago, but I need to stop paying for my stupidity."_

"_I never said bringing Maggie on ship was a stupid decision. I just questioned why you chose to do it." She sighed. "Even after all these years, I've said boo. Do you really want to open up that can of worms again? I doubt she even has a clue that your Ellie's father. For god's sakes, we killed four people to cover up your drunken weekend. Even for us that's pushing it."_

"_But I was right in the end that's all that matters. If Bit knows she hasn't let on. Which means I'm screwed if I do what I'm about to do." The Captain was not himself. His partner could tell that over sub-space. "I mean I was in the gym today and she had us running evasive maneuvers around the tiniest amount of space debris. I need to go to speak to her about it, but the last thing I want to do is reprimand my XO."_

"_I'll deal with the Bit aftermath." The author leaned back in her desk chair. "You need Maggie. And think with your head please. I don't need that much of a reprimand coming my way. How's the rest of the tour going?"_

"_I forgot what it was like to be out long term, and to be honest I missed it." Reed was allowing his emotions to stabilize. "I mean it's nice in a way. We're working through the conflicts, Maggie is a pro at that. Apparently she was the right choice when it came to being diplomatic, so I didn't totally screw it up."_

"_I'll give you that much. It's been quiet here, a little too quiet. Ellie's here for the week, Jon and Hoshi had to head out." Mayweather smiled. "She's more stubborn than her mother. And she has your attitude, you rubbed off on her. It makes her impossible some times."_

"_So if we're both certain, Ellie probably knows—she has good instincts." Reed knew she knew. "Does anyone else suspect it?"_

"_If they do, they're not saying anything. I think Jon knows, but you and I know he's also one of the 5 of us who knows who Bit is, with him it's safe. And Ellie's wrapped around his pinky, he'll do anything to protect his princess." She was ready to order him. "Just don't open the can of worms, if you don't have to. I'll talk to you next week."_

_The Captain sighed. "Thanks for being my voice of reason Grace, I need you for that." Reed signed off, stretched out his back and went to talk to her. The thought, of their daughter probably knowing stuck in the back of his head._

_The stressed and fatigued First Officer went to answer her ringing door. "You've come to demote me haven't you?" She stared up at her Captain as he leaned against the bulkhead. "Hell I had us running evasive maneuvers around golf balls; I would strip me of my commission and throw me in the brig. Dan I was an idiot."_

"_A wise man once told me it's the best to keep their crew on its toes. That if they slack off your ship becomes vulnerable." Reed walked himself into her quarters. "Maggie you're being ridiculous. Take a deep breath. You don't have to prove your command skills around me. I know you're one hell of an officer."_

"_You do, but our Crew only sees me as a bimbo cheerleader who spent two decades in the Press office only because she's Admiral Sato's daughter." Archer sighed. "You and I both know that's the truth. I mean that'll always be the belief of half the fleet. What I did today only cements that belief. And you don't count; my spare bedroom is your permanent home base."_

"_Let me at least bust that giant stress knot out of your back. You don't need to deal with that thing on top of the rest of the stress." He brought his hands up to her back. "Gods, Mags you're beyond stressed. I need you at 100, not being some limp rag doll."_

"_You know you have a second career if this starship captain thing doesn't pan out." The Commander allowed her body to relax with his touch. "You have the hands of a miracle worker. Go ahead and do that all night."_

_He breathed into her dark hair. "I chose you because I trusted you. You were the only one I even thought about for this mission. I know you're one hell of an officer underneath that fluff you give the public. Those who matter know you're one of the best things to happen to Starfleet in the last two decades."_

_She turned to face him. "Why do you still care about me Dan?" Archer sighed. "I'm a disaster in waiting. My three ex-husbands will readily attest to that. You took too big of a gamble bringing the beauty queen out of the press office to do an actual tour of duty. What were you thinking? This has been my longest ship stint, and we've only been out 4 months."_

_He held her close. "Because I love you. Margaret, beauty routine, idiot exes, and tea habit included. I know you find that so tough to believe, but I wouldn't be crashing on your couch all these years if I didn't. I'm not the type that's infatuated for you because of your looks or name." The Captain crossed the line and kissed his first officer._

---

October 2206

"Grace, we need to talk." Ellery looked at her godmother after dinner. "Things have been bugging me since the last time Grandma and Grandpa went out and I stayed with you for the two weeks. I was half asleep the night you were talking over the secure channel in your office. I know what a secure channel looks like, what I don't know is why you have one."

"I've had one for years, I'm basically Dan's sounding board when he gets stressed. The Fleet likes to have their Captains, have the ability to confidently talk to a friend at home when they need to vent." Mayweather looked at the teenager. "I take it you figured it out even half asleep, that's what's bugging you isn't it?"

"Mom has no clue does she?" Ellery stared her down. "And you're more than Dan's sounding board. Or should I say Dad's sounding board. I pretty much figured it out when I was around seven."

"To say your mother's relationship with Nate was unhealthy is the understatement of my life." The author sighed. "She drank a lot early on in the relationship. More than her and Dan usually do. I doubt she even remembers that weekend. It was one of the reasons I let Dan know taking her on board probably wouldn't be the smartest thing for him mental health wise."

"But he didn't listen, and now something once again is going on between the two of them. I got that when I talked to Mom last week." She bit back a smirk. "Isn't there some sort of regulation against that?"

"Probably. But let them bask in it." Mayweather laughed. "And I do consulting work, that's why I have a secure. That's all you need and want to know. Trust me, Greg doesn't even know about the secure—I'd rather he not too."

"Gotcha, do I tell them that I know?" The sarcastic in her took over. "Because it'll be fun to let him keep walking on eggshells about it."

"Our secret, your mother—I don't want her to go into a tizzy if she realizes. At least when she's out in the middle of nowhere on a ship." Mayweather smiled. "Like I said, she probably will never make the connection, because it will be admitting something about herself that she would rather not admit."

"That's a big part of Mom." Ellery laughed. "Margaret Archer, queen of yes I'm perfect façade. I'm just glad I know better than to be like that."

--

November 2206

The writer had spent the last ten days giving lectures on earth literature. In a way in made her glad to be given back when her works were doing so well. More importantly it was the easiest cover to have her working out of the Vulcan station for the better part of a month. She and the station chief had to figure out something.

"We are that screwed?" Asil looked at her colleague with an uncharacteristic horror. "How? Yes, I know it's Dan we're talking about and asking how is kind of redundant."

"Maggie. He's the king of level headedness except when it comes to her." Mayweather sighed. "And it's been like that since he hit puberty. I mean when she married Charlie, I was certain there was going to be blood drawn at that wedding. Their friendship is still not what it was when they were kids. She's had 2 husbands and 4 almost husbands since then. But Charlie got her first."

"I mean if it jeopardizes anything we have to do something about it." The Vulcan let her logic take over. "I wouldn't want to see Maggie suffer because of Dan's stupidity. I just don't trust her at all. And I know that goes back to the fact that I raised her son, because she was too indifferent to do so. And with the contacts we know she still has, she can easily expose us all with one short transmission."

"It sucks, it sucks when we're close to the problem." The number 2 was getting ready to rant. "And Bit's put it as my problem, she told me when I married Greg that I would be Dan's wrangler. We have one crew on the ship, I'm having him monitor and report back to be. Let's just hope that this whole thing passes over and he comes back to his senses soon."

December 2206

"You're going to be stuck with me." The XO leaned back onto the couch in the Captains quarters. "I'm here until we get it all repaired. And let's make my quarters the bottom priority. It doesn't say much if I'm back in mine and we have crew bunking on cots in the mess hall."

"I could get used to having you here, it's revenge for almost 20 years of me not paying rent." He cracked up. "I need something to make me smile, having you here will be a help. These damage reports are making me sick to my stomach. Having you here for a few weeks will help."

"I'm sure it will." She winked at him coyly. "We didn't lose anyone, and there were no major injuries. I mean, a quarter deck of damage is totally livable with. WE do the repairs and we keep trekking, it's what we have to do."

"And that's why I needed you as my XO. I'm freaking out and you're thinking logically." He joined her on the couch and smiled. "Plus, having you sleeping on this couch will sure beat sneaking around every night."

"I can fake the neck crick without a problem." Archer laughed. "But, we have so much freaking work to do, that I'm half tempted to hightail it out of here and back to the press office. I can manage to deal with Ellie."

January 2207

"Abdullah." The XO stormed into his quarters. "If you can explain this report to me I will marry you in front of the whole crew at breakfast tomorrow morning."

"It can't be that bad, last week you were offering to have my baby." He smiled up from the couch and his padd. "You didn't attempt to throw him out the airlock again did you Maggie?"

"I was only half tempted. If we didn't need a chief I would have." She began to shed her jumpsuit as she started towards the shower. "All I want is a nice hot shower, and to collapse into bed for a solid's night's sleep. If you love me as much as you say you do, you'll have an extra strong margarita waiting for me by the time I'm done."

"I'll have one of those and a nice warm spot on the couch." Reed stood at the bathroom door. "The good news is that your quarters should be habitable again by this time next week. I kind of like having you here. And you're not one to question why I made the crew choices I made."

"I know." She kissed him before hopping into the shower. "I'm not going to miss faking the neck ache that I'm getting from supposedly sleeping on your couch. But for appearances sakes, I need to move back into my quarters when they're ready. It wouldn't be the best example if the XO and the Captain were seen shacking up together. We're not going to prevent a united front when they're outright gossiping about us."

"You know you're still such a press secretary Mags." He leaned against the door frame and looked at her perfect body. "Though, that might explain why most people don't believe that you're the mother of a Cadet. I'm sure Quinn loves that his mother's the fleet's sexpot."

"You want to prove that theory?" She smiled at him coyly. "Because I'll be back in my quarters next week and we won't be having nearly this much fun when I'm sneaking in through the Jeffries tubes."

"As long as I don't end up the next Mr. Margaret Archer." Reed kissed her passionately. "I'd rather not join that fraternity."

"I do not have enough ex-husbands or fiancées to warrant a fraternity." She pulled him into the shower with her. "Just don't get your ego to inflated with that Captain."


	12. Chapter 12

October 2209

She burped her month old son then placed him quietly into his crib. The second time around was not any easier, she was serving as the XO of the flagship, she wasn't a young officer with barely any responsibility, this time, she didn't have a support system she could count on. Archer bit back the tears, she was starting to get overwhelmed. She didn't want to be overwhelmed. He was barely a month old and she knew she couldn't handle another round of parenting, she just couldn't do it a third time.

The files she had found a day earlier proved that. As Jonathon grew up it would be obvious, even if she didn't still want to admit it to herself. He had been her rock for years, even through that disaster period of her life. In a way she knew in her gut, but would never say it. Her daughter was the reason she finally grew up, she was regressing back to what she had been, she did not want the infant sleeping in his crib to know that her. The baby deserved one good parent that would be devoted to him—not a father that was dealing with a mother who was bordering on insanity

He was curled up on the couch with a data padd trying to work despite sheer exhaustion. "Why don't you get some sleep for a few hours?" Archer kissed him. "I'm going to head up to the office to finish up the quartiles. I have to quit slacking on them. I'll be back down in a little bit, think of it as a six hour mini vacation."

"You sold me." Reed looked up at her and smiled. "Yes, you need to quit slacking on those things, plus I need sleep. I'm looking way to old here, I hate looking old enough of to be Jon's grandfather."

"Well we are old enough to be his grandparents. I'm twice the age that I was when I had Quinn." She let out a stiff and fake laugh. "Just think about it that way. I'm the mother of an ensign and an infant, it's a first."

"I doubt it'll be the last Maggie." He got up from the couch. "Try to get the quartiles out by tomorrow, I'm sick and tired of hearing about how we never get them in on time, it's not like any massive change will be done because of them."

"Mom's just a pain in the ass about it. I swear she should've stayed in academia. Morale in the fleet will improve tenfold when Admiral Hoshi Sato retires. The headache of having a commandment who isn't such a stickler will be nice. Who would've ever funked she would be nothing like her husband when it came to command style."She shooed him towards their bedroom. "Go get some sleep, if you need me you'll know where I'll be."

Archer read her quartile evaluation one last time then sent the button to submit them over the Starfleet channel. The XO then smoothed her hair back, filled her massive mug with tea then pulled up the ships control logs. She had to do what she had to do. Her sons didn't deserve to have her in this state, it was best if she wasn't around to screw-up the same way she did the first time.

--

Reed looked with horror as the doors on the airlock opened. "I've taken enough of a beating from Command the last few days. Please contain your guilt trip as much as possible Mom."

"I promise I'll refrain from the I told you so's. You are aware that Maggie has left many a guys broken hearted. You two aren't the first." Jenna McKenzie gave her son a consoling hug. "Is the baby at least sleeping solid hours? You can worry about explaining it to him when he's old enough. We sure she's actually gone?"

"He's sleeping in solid 3 hour blocks. That's the major plus. As for Maggie, we've been unable to get any trace on the shuttle or anything, she did a number on the sensors, it was almost two days before we got them back on." The Captain sighed. "Are Dad and Quinn bringing the files?"

"Yes and of course. Something caused her to snap, somehow we'll figure out what. They've put out an APB in the hopes that someone recognizes her." The legendary MACO was just as exasperated with the situation "Quinn's going Vulcan and being totally indifferent about it all, even T'Pol is freaking out about that. Now am I at least going to get to see my grandson?"

"Jonathon's asleep in our quarters." The pair walked down the corridor. "Thankfully, he's too young to know all that's going on. I just don't know how I'm going to do this on my own. I mean I'm a decorated Captain, yet I'm afraid of an innocent little thing that ways all of 6 kilograms. I think a lot of it has to do with what Maggie's done in the last week."

"You should've seen us when you first came home." The Sergeant Major actually smiled. "Your father and I were fully lost souls. WE had no clue how to even change a diaper at that point, but we learned. And I can say you came out decently well. Granted we weren't stupid enough to even think of raising you on a ship."

"You said no I told you so's." He chastised his mother as he punched the entrance code for the Captain's quarters. "I'm not sure how I'm going to do it yet. I want to be active in my son's life. In the miraculous event I don't lose my commission I'm going to have to make some choices as to the best way to raise Jonathon."

"No, but that's coming from Hoshi, she said she'll be full of them. I quote 'Tell your son he is a completer moron. After all these years it serves him right for going near my darling daughter's revolving door of fiancées and husbands." She went over and stood at the edge of the six week old's crib. "He's so precious Dan. The poor thing has no clue at this point what he was born into. We'll all just have to work as a team to make sure he gets the sanest and best upbringing possible."

"Mom, I'm not giving up on Maggie just yet." The Captain sighed. "I mean there's hope she'll come to her senses and come back. I know it's a far fetched romantic notion, but I love her too much to give up this soon. I've loved her for too long to give up."

"It's not being a far fetched romantic." The grandmother bent over and delicately picked up her crying grandson. "It's being hopeful and optimistic. If we were never hopeful and optimistic our mission would have been a disaster. I checked in on Ellie before I left, she's holding up okay for now."

"Thanks, Mom. I was worried how she would take it all." Reed allowed his stress to show behind the closed door. "At least I'll still be around, even if I haven't been much of a father the last eighteen years. I'm wondering if Maggie figured it out, and that's what sent her over the edge?"

"No shit, she looks just like you. And if Maggie even suspected it, and we know she probably was in denial about it. I doubt that's what sent her over the edge." Mackenzie reassured her son. "Grace gave me the heads up a few weeks ago, you've known since she was born haven't you?"

"No shit Mom." He allowed his tension to release somewhat. "It was one weekend when we were drunk. Maggie was a different person when she was with him. Before she came on ship, that was the only time anything happened between the two of us. It's not like I'm all of a sudden appearing in her life and say Daddy's here. Grace let me know that Ellie figured it out years ago. I'll deal with that drama when we get back to Earth. For now, my son is my priority."

"Good, because the minute your father gets here your relieved of command. Count on a desk job Dan." She nodded. "Hoshi said if she could find a way she could, but even if she could figure out how to keep your command—it sure as hell won't be of the flagship. Her head would be rolling for that one."

--.

November 2209

"With all the craziness, I figured no one actually checked to see how you were holding up." Rick Grayson let himself into Maggie's kitchen. "Quinn high tailed it out of here with Admiral Reed, and Quinn doesn't high tail anywhere."

"I'm doing okay. IT's soaking in piece by piece. I've been gradually looking around here—and there's nothing. I mean, it's my mother, you've met her Rick—she's not exactly the poster child of stability. We all know that." Ellery sighed. "And Dan, well somehow with their genetics I came out sane—I deserve a medal for that."

"You chose what was right for you. Even if it's driving the Admiral up the wall." Rick laughed. "So, how the hell do you think you ended up with Dan's genetics, osmosis?"

"It's just one of those things I've always known. Plus, with everything he's always been like a father to me anyway." She sighed. "From what I've gotten Mom was a different person when she was married to her second husband, she wasn't right in the head according to Grace. It's one of those things no one just talks about."

"You're beyond cynical of your mother. More than Quinn, and he's pretty bad himself." He looked at her. "But I promised him I would check up on you every few days. Make sure you weren't totally falling apart. He worries about you, worries that being fully raised by Maggie, screwed up with your sense of morals."

"Thanks for caring Rick. I appreciate it." She smiled for the first time in weeks. "Can I at least feed you? I've been baking like crazy since this whole thing went down. You might as well benefit from it. I'm going to get fat if I keep eating all these brownies."

"You'll never get fat Ellie, you're too much like your grandmother to ever overeat sweets." Rick looked her up and down. "Actually, I figured I'm moving in, you need to have someone here when you do breakdown, and you'll be breaking down. It's a matter of when and not if."

"Thanks for the comfort Rick, and yeah I can use the company. I wasn't going to let it out, but this whole thing is affecting me big time." Ellery looked at him with a raised eye. "I'm just happy Grandma let me move back here when I started Yale, she at least got my need to be close to school. Even if it means wallowing in my own pity."

--

January 2210

"The crib is set up in your bedroom." Ellery helped him haul gear into the house. "Rick just went to get stuff for the dinner. You're going to need to eat something tonight."

"At least tell me you two have a bottle of liquor somewhere around here." Reed sighed. "That's what I need more than anything, a good strong whiskey."

"In the bar. I made sure I got it earlier today." She laughed. "After you get Jon down for the night, we're going to need to talk. You know perfectly well what it's about, so don't give me that what do you mean look."

"Yeah I know, Grace told me you know." He sighed again. "Nothing's going to change right? Well besides the fact that we have no clue as to where Maggie is."

"What's there to change? Mom's crazy just finally caught up to her." Ellery smiled. "We'll be fine, it's nice to know I have a father who's been in my life for most of my life. Just don't expect me to start on calling you Dad right away."

"Perfeclty fair Ellie." Reed hugged her. "I'm going to get Jon and myself settled. Having Rick here has helped, I can tell. I'm glad someone's been looking out for you."

"He's been my sanity the last 8 weeks. He's the only one who's not been on eggshells around me. I'll call down when he gets back with dinner, you should have the baby down by then." She shooed him away and went out on to the deck. A few minutes later she looked to see him coming up. "He just went to put the baby down for the night. I told him you and I would get dinner ready. We're going to be okay with issue 1. He's the only father figure in my life since I was in diapers."

"Issue 2?" He sat down next to her and pulled her into him. "I take it that you didn't approach that one yet?"

"He's a little lost, figured he didn't need that just yet." She reached up to kiss him. "Grace said I'm better walking on eggshells around him for the next few days. I'm sort of sleeping with Rick, hope you're okay with it Dad. Not something I wanted to say to my over-protective, over-emotional, sleep deprived father. Hopefully he won't notice that you haven't slept in the guest room for over a month."

"He's not that grief stricken El." Rick laughed. "He'll notice. But the fact that I've vowed to marry you within the year should help defuse the situation. I'm not taking advantage of Quinn's scared and vulnerable sister."

"That's not how Quinn is going to see it." She cracked up. "We'll take it step by step. I think in the end he'll be fine, I just would rather not put it on him right now."

--

March 2211

"You're not kicking me out. It's my house as much as it's yours." Ellery bounced her baby on her hip. "And don't even go into I'm more stubborn than my mother. Notice no signs of divorce, abandonment, or a breakdown and Amanda's already five months old. My sane genes must have come from you. Plus Rick just left, I really don't want to be in that apartment, it's not me anyway."

"I'll deal with the fact that my daughter decided to have a baby at barely eighteen later." Reed looked at her and rolled his eyes. "Take the second master, there's already a crib in there, I figured you would be giving up the apartment. Plus, the most current nanny just quit, having you here is going to become a necessity."

"How long did this one last? You're cycling way too quickly through them, it has to be you." She laughed. "If you can get him into daycare when I'm in class, I have no issue with being your permanent babysitter. It's not like I'm going to go running from my own brother."

"Yeah, you're not Quinn." Reed allowed himself to be relieved with his daughter. "I got a report on your mom this morning, apparently someone spotted her shuttle near Orion, I'm hoping it's a lead."

"We've changed a lot around here if you haven't noticed. I'm married with a kid, Quinn's being Quinn. Grandpa's gone." She paused. "We've accepted that you and not the asshole she was married to are my father. You know she won't be too thrilled with that fact Dad. If we do find her, that will scare her away permanently. You and I both know she'll never admit to a mistake like that, even if we're all okay with it."

"Yeah, I know. But still it would be easier if her whole breakdown didn't happen. Let's face it, I got off easy, but I'm on permanent desk duty now. I'm meant to be ship bound, not sitting behind a desk all day." The Captain sighed. "I miss her a little less every day, but I'm not giving up on her coming back for a long time Ellie."

"I know you won't." She put her daughter down into the high chair. "I get it Dad, I don't want to either. But it's been eighteen months. We need to know the chance is getting smaller by the day. You and I need to go on living. It's the only thing that'll work for both Jon and Amanda. The rest of us wallowing in pity will make us worthless."


	13. Chapter 13

January 2219

"You better be taking it." McKenzie stared down her son. "Even if it's only a few months, for the sake of everybody around headquarters you better take it. You need to be back on ship, for all that is right in the world, you need to be back on ship."

"You talked to your granddaughter didn't you?" Reed laughed. "She said the same thing. But it was for her sanity. If she moved out the problem would be solved. But, she and the girls aren't going any time soon."

"She did say she'll take Jon for the year, it might be good for him to escape from your over protectiveness. Plus, you need the one last tour to make Admiral." She looked at him stronger. "And if they let you make Admiral after the whole Maggie debacle, well you accept it and run with it."

"Your confidence and support never cease to amaze me Mom." He shook his head. "I'm still debating, it's only six months, and I need to get out on ship, for my sanity. I was never cut out to be a desk jockey. Even Bit is ready to send me away."

"Bit's making total sense on that, you're a field officer not an analyst." She speared a piece of her salad. "You know how I feel about it. You can't analyze a report for shit. Go out and have some fun before you become stuffy brass."

"Spoken like a true non commissioned lifer." The Captain looked at his mother. "Quinn will be serving in Engineering, so it's not like I won't have a keeper to knock me into place. And you know he will. I need a voice of reason."

"That you do. But you'll be in better shape without Maggie on the bridge next to you. You could never get your head straight around her." The retired Seargent-Marjor laid it straight. "We all know that, you're still not ready to admit it."

"Now I know Ellie is mine without question. I'm afraid if I leave, she'll clean out the closet finally. The amount of Maggie stuff keeps dwindling. But I still don't want to bury it all yet." He sighed. "I still want to believe that she'll come home any day."

"That won't change for years to come." McKenzie sighed. "She's always going to be your downfall Dan. She has been since you two were teenagers. It's one of those things as your mother I hated that I couldn't control."

--

August 2219

Ellery plopped down into the deck chair with a large glass of wine; it was the escape she needed. It had been rough with her father's choice to go back on ship, but after a decade he needed it. She needed to have him quit feeling useless. Her baby brother's questions were just going to make the six months seem like six years.

Rick joined her and smiled. "The troops are all down for the night, even the inquisitor. I know it's been hard." He looked at his wife's glass of wine. "But we can't blame him for having questions. You and I both knew her, he has no clue as to what she was like. I would be worried if he didn't have any questions."

She sighed. "I know. It's just how do I broach it? Mom was an unstable drama queen. She always put herself before anyone else. Quinn and I heard she was pregnant and we knew it was going to be a disaster for the baby. Dad can't talk about her, because he's still heartbroken and sure she can come back any day? He's only ten he doesn't need that emotional damage."

"He's a good kid. Dan's been over protective. But I think after missing out so much of you, he needs to be." He met her glare. "Listen, you would want some explanation if the roles were reversed. I mean you and I are pretty sure she's no longer out there, but everyone else still hopes she is. Jon should know the positive."

"All I ever wanted is closure to it. Even after 10 years, I don't care if she's alive or not, I want closure." The linguist sipped her wine. "And even if she did come home, things have changed way too much. It would cause another breakdown. Dad hasn't moved on at all. The Admiral refuses to retire--she knows she won't be able to cope without either her daughter or her husband. It sucks that we just can't bury old Maggie."

"Keep the answers simple. When Jon is old enough you walk him through it all." He began to work on the stress knot in his wife's neck. "If you were ready to bury your mother, you wouldn't still have all that stuff in the closet."

"Part of me really does still miss her. Our girls will never know their grandmother. When I get stressed, it would be nice to be able to vent to her." She smiled. "Especially when her own child stresses me out, it would be nice to hand him off to his crazy mother. But I know I would worry endlessly about him."

"I still wonder where your maternal side came from, not Maggie for sure." Rick laughed. "We will have closure Ellie. It's just a question of when. And I think she would be letting you hear about it for eons that you settled for me, only because you got pregnant. You should've traded up to a cuter, higher ranked, husband by now."

"Yeah she would be saying that." Ellery smiled. "But all the time Dad spent pining for her, I would never want that. I think in a way that really is what is still tough for him, he waited 25 years. And with the exception of a few drunken weekends, she was always un-attainable. I couldn't live like that, a serial monogamist who didn't want to admit that her best friend was always in love with her."

"That's your grandmother talking." He kissed the back of her neck. "Jenna, not the Admiral. Amazing how she's always been the voice of reason. Even with the craziness in her background."

"Another thing I can't explain to Jon. Dad, Grace, Grandma, they're the bones of Federation Intelligence." She rolled her eyes. "This all sucks. Him wanting to know things, it makes my life a big giant mess. I mean I want him to stay living in that bubble. It would just have things run so much smoother."

--

January 2220

Jonathon found himself staring down his sister once again over breakfast. "You're worse than Dad when it comes to talking about her Ellie. I deserve to know what she was like. I'm tired of you and Rick avoiding it."

"You're asking too many questions kiddo." Ellery tousled his hair. "I really don't know if going into all the details about Mom is going to be healthy for you. I know Quinn has been opposed to it from day one. And I do need to respect his wishes on the matter."

"So what my opinion doesn't matter. She was my mother." He was getting past upset. "It's my right to know what she was like. You people all have her up on this pedestal that makes her seem as perfect as could be. I know she wasn't, she wouldn't have done what she did if she was."

"She has her issues. She's always had her issues, it was part of her charm." Ellery smiled. "I know she loved you. She was so overwhelmed when I was little, and Grandma and Grandpa were around constantly. It takes a lot to recognize a personal weakness. I guess that's why I'm so neurotic with the way I handle things around here."

"You're beyond neurotic Ellie." The youngster smiled. "Could you talk to Quinn though? I want to know some things about her. Even if it's not all the tough stuff."

"I'll make a deal. If I show you some pictures, will you lay off on the Interrogation for a few days?" She gave him a raised eyebrow. "After dinner tonight, I'll see what I can pull together. Now finish breakfast so you're not late for school. I'm tired of running late every morning."

Ellery walked into her boss's office with a look of worry on her face. "Jon's really on the question kick lately. I've stalled long enough—it's time I give him some information. It's totally not what I want to do, but I have to."

Bit smiled at her. "It's your hormones talking El. Before you got pregnant you were way too good at dismissing any of his inquiries. And you know I'm right." The director laughed. "I mean telling him that we planted the file that sent Maggie over the deep edge is not something I'm advocating at all. Especially since Dan still has no clue."

"He'll go on a rampage if he ever figures out how she got the file. And I've raised Jon for a year, and I'll be very ready to hand him back over next month. He's too much like my mother. Way too much of Maggie in him." She placed her hand on her mid-section. "I so don't want my girls to be anything like my mother, it might send me over the edge."

"Then eventually you'll just have to stop having daughters. Our people can help Rick on that front." Bit winked. "All it takes is a hypo spray or two. Really though, you're so much more levelheaded than Maggie ever could be, your girls won't be a thing like her."

"Yeah, but so is the Admiral. And she raised Maggie." Ellery sunk down into a chair. "I know you'll give me something to tell Jon. I'm running out of ways to stall him. And Quinn's head is buried in the sand, he thinks it's best if Jon knows nothing."

"Listen, I know there's a reason only a few people know who I was born as. I get Quinn's point." Bit smiled. "Let me think of some way to be diplomatic about it, we'll make Jon feel like he wasn't some total mistake."


	14. Chapter 14

June 2228

The Vulcan ambassador approached her at the reception. "Ellery Archer, it's been a while hasn't it?"

"Almost 15 years." Ellery smiled. "It's good to see you Sarek. Rumor was that you were running the Vulcan embassy. You should've called."

"There also were rumors floating around that your Grandmother gave you the guilt trip on her deathbed. Having known Admiral Sato, it didn't surprise me." Sarek nodded looking at her uniform. "I'm assuming your children aren't small anymore and that makes it easier, Captain."

"Jonathon is at Starfleet Academy, Amanda at Stanford. My younger ones are 9, 7, and 4, with a nanny, a housekeeper, and my mother-in-law we're doing wonderfully." She reached for a glass of champagne and gestured. "The two of them enjoy coming. I'm thinking I have them come enough, and in a few years they can deal with this when Quinn is out on ship."

"Now that would be something your Grandmother would have done." The Ambassador looked as two young adults approached them. "Your daughter looks just like your mother."

"And she's just as dramatic as Maggie. I'm extremely thankful that I don't have to deal with both of them. She's 18 without a husband in sight, so maybe there's hope for her yet." Ellery motioned the two of them over. "Amanda, Jon, this Ambassador Sarek. He was my grandfather's diplomatic analyst. It was a job only a Vulcan could have handled."

"President Archer was always a pleasure to work with." Sarek gave the two of them what could account for a Vulcan smile. "He taught me a great deal, I will always by far consider him my mentor. I have to say it's impressive that you followed him and your grandmother to Stanford Amanda."

"I'm planning on writing my capstone on his policies." Amanda smiled at the Ambassador. "There's enough of his name around campus, that I probably wouldn't have choice otherwise."

"I would be pleased to serve as your first person source on that." He looked at her. "Your mother's judgment when it comes to him is not history's, she had him at her beck and call from the time she could talk."

"Why am I not surprised by that Ellie?" Jonathon looked at her. "Dad would destroy the Enterprise for you. I can assume my mother had the same pull didn't she Ambassador?"

"There was this magnetism about Commander Archer that cannot be described." The Ambassador nodded. "It's a testament to Ellie that you came out as well as you did Jonathon. Your mother would've followed her father into the Presidency's office. There is no question about it, Margaret Archer had the potential to end up the most powerful woman in the United Federation of Planets."

January 2229

"Thank-you so much Ambassador for making the time to meet with me." Amanda Grayson crossed her legs at the ankles and perched up into the chair across from him. "I feel like I'm being a nag, with all my questions. At least you get this unlike Mom and Grandpa."

"Your mother doesn't get a lot of things Amanda. And as for your Grandfather he and Professor Tucker are in a class by themselves. Goes with the territory of Maggie Archer." Sarek raised an eyebrow at her. "I am more than happy to help with your research."

"I brought a batch of Gam's brownies. I heard at one point they were your favorite. She made sure I knew how to make them very early on. Someone had to learn—Mom and Maggie never did." She smiled at him. "It's the least I could do for the time you're giving me."

"That wasn't necessary Amanda. But this is the one delicacy that I could never replicate, it is much appreciated." The Ambassador looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Your great-grandparents were complex people. Are you sure you want to examine this aspect?"

"I know what I'm diving into. And yes I know it means opening up the whole Maggie thing." Amanda looked at the Ambassador. "I talked it over with Jon, he's okay with it. He wants some sort of closure. Maggie's a touchy subject amongst everyone else. We realized we have to find our own way to deal with it."

"That would be the logical choice. If we ever find her it'll be different. But the chances of finding Maggie are getting smaller with every week." Sarek looked at her. "I really think her break down is what killed her father. No one will ever admit, but I'm sure that did him in. Maggie was always his top priority. It's difficult on Jon isn't it?"

"He's been moody and dark since we could talk. I really think it's because of the whole Maggie thing. Whenever even of us even attempted to approach it with Mom she shut us out. It's something we've become used to." She smiled. "That is why I'm eternally grateful for your help on this."

April 2229

"I need a favor." Captain Charles Tucker V had beamed down from his ship's orbit in Vulcan. "Well technically Rick needs a favor, but I'm the one physically requesting it."

"I grant the favor, I get to see my grandsons." Asil leaned back in her desk chair. "I think it's a fair enough trade. You already give me the needed ship communications, I can't hold that over your head."

"Amanda's been spending a lot of time lately with Ambassador Sarek." He read his step-mother's face. "Though I'm sure Dan already filled you in on that aspect."

"After he yelled and screamed for an over an hour. I told him it's a genetic thing with the Archer women." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "We're already on it Quinn. It could be a genuine relationship, which I know you guys don't want to believe. But it could be."

"Even you know there's no logic to that argument. He went to school with you Sil. Amanda's 19. She's what Dad was when he married Maggie." The Captain sighed. "Do you really think that's mentally healthy? Vulcan logic or not?"

"One day you will stop referring to your mother as Maggie." The intelligence expert slid over a padd. "He's an atypical Vulcan. I've had a file on him for years. Bit would throw a fit if she knew."

"You're amazing Mom. You really are." The Captain smiled. "And that's why I call you mother and the thing that gave birth to me Maggie. She would believe it was a perfectly healthy thing for Amanda to start out as the Ambassador's trophy wife."

"Probably. You and I both know Maggie knew how to use different things to gain control of a situation." Asil sighed. "It's a shame we never could have used her in intelligence. She was just always too unstable."

June 2229

"She's so going to blow up at you." Jonathon joined her in the kitchen. "I mean, I've done some stupid things, but it doesn't come close to what you're about to do Amanda."

"No you've done many moronic things, I know this is the right thing for me." She popped up onto the kitchen counter. "She and Maggie were both married by my age. So she can't argue that this is my rebellion."

"Yes, but neither of them were marrying Vulcan ambassadors that were their grandfather's age." He reached for a coffee mug. "I want a front row seat to Ellie's temper tantrum. I mean even Dad, who's so blasé to everything is going to blow a gasket at this."

"Good, it's about time he shows some emotion. The man's so robotic. Supposedly according to Grace he at one point wasn't. I find that impossible to believe." Amanda stretched out her back. "I need to make my own legacy away from here."

Jonathon sighed and opened a beer. "I mean she's such a fucking curse on our lives. Do you really think packing up and moving to Vulcan when Sarek goes back is the answer? I mean you still have Charlie and Asil to deal with. You won't be fully escaping Maggie."

"We'll never escape Maggie." She smiled. "But I know in my heart this is what I want, so even Mom's rant isn't going to stop me. Yeah I know it's on the crazy side Jon. If it doesn't work out, it can be my starter marriage. That's how I'm looking at it."

Reed wandered into the kitchen. "I haven't said anything to your mother yet Amanda. But it's spreading very quickly around Starfleet Headquarters. I _suggest_ you go into my office, and get on the subspace channel and contact her. They're due back in a week, and they'll know the minute they transport down. It's not going to be pretty with your father, even if I'm seeing it as payback."

"You weren't that hard on Rick were you Dad?" Jonathon looked at his father. "I mean you're so blasé about everything, I doubt you overreacted when it came to Ellie and Rick. It's so not you."

"Like Grace said, I wasn't so robotic at one point. I had just gotten home with you, the last thing I wanted to deal with was Ellie running off and getting married. Everything was compounding, not something I would wish on my mortal enemy." The Admiral chuckled. "Now are you sure this is what you want Princess? I mean you can back out and we can see it as a little infatuation phase you went through. No one will need to mention it again. We're good at that in this family."

"I'm sure. My gut's telling me it's the right thing. And I need to trust my gut." Amanda beamed. "And yes, I'll call Mom and Dad over the subspace. Maybe if they process it first, they won't be as temperamental when they beam down."

"You're marrying a Vulcan fossil. Do you really expect Ellie and Rick not to be temperamental?" Jonathon took a swig of his beer. "Really Amanda? Do you really think they're not going to be overreacting about it all?"

"Listen, I can deal with them." She glared at him. "It's not like I'm running off and getting married because my mother went crazy. My reasoning is a lot better than Mom's was for getting married that young. Plus, I'm graduating in two months. So what if I put off my pursuit of that doctorate or the Starfleet career. It's about time we produce an underachiever around here."


	15. Chapter 15

July 2232

"Yes?" Reed slid into the booth in the officer's club across from the Captain. "Do we really have it? I thought we would never even get a bite Quinn."

"Should've seen me trying to explain to my crew why we were storing an old shuttle in our bay for the last month." Tucker cracked a massive smile. "The thing is in shitty shape to say the least Dan, she did a number on it before she moved onto god knows 's being kept quiet as they go over it at Utopia."

"Personal affects?"Reed's face turned white."Do we know if she left anything behind?Anything that might indicate why she did it?You and I would like answers, butdammitwe owe it to Jon, he needs to know."

"Grace is going over the logs with a finetooth comb. I thought Mom's best friend was the best one to do it." He sighed. "Her mugwas sitting next to the controls. You and I both know what that means."

"That was her security blanket. From the time we were kids, psychotic ornot our Maggie would not leave it behind."The Admiral placed his head in his hands."The Enterprise Files?"

"A copy was still on board. I already followed orders and had it classified." The son knew hismother,he knew there was stuff missing. "Not everything was there, but then again we don't know what she had originally 's up to you what you tell Jon. You know better than anyone else what he can handle."

"You're doing the guilt thing Quinn. He's not a child anymore. Even you, it's been longer without her than with her." Reed shook his head. "I'm going to have Amanda come in as we get ready to make our final decision. I want both of them here to get it. It's only right. Jon will probably feel better having her to vent to."

"Trust me, Amanda won't mind getting off of Vulcan for a month. I've been hauling my mother's shuttle around, but the woman who raised me has been very keen about how young Miss Grayson is coping out on Vulcan." Quinn laughed. "The way she acts you would never figure Sil to be a Vulcan. Maybe that's why her and Dad have been a perfect fit for so long."

"Sil runs the Vulcan station for Federation Intelligence. That trumps being a Vulcan any day. That's the number 3 position of Intelligence. And I didn't tell you that." The Admiral's color began to come back. "Same way I would really not want Jon to know about that side of my life. And I know Grace has the same philophsy. So say nothing about it. You and Ellie knowing are totally different, you both work for us, you need to know."

June 2233

"Figured you could use this." Jonathon approached the young ambassador's wife with two glasses. "You can't miss the ocean that much?"

"I do actually." She looked over to her young son who was involved in his own world, cautiously approaching the water than jumping back from the waves. "Plus I needed to get out of there. Maggie gets tiring after a while."

"You at least brought a valid excuse for getting out of there. I know we're supposed to get it, but I doubt you or me ever will." The Lieutenant laughed. "I don't know how to react around them in there, it sucks."

"I think once they actually are willing to talk about it, you and I will be a lot more at ease. They've had it mothballed for over a year now, even if the files are going to be classified, we should know why. It would be nice to know why." Amanda rolled her eyes. "You wonder if Spock and your children are going to be having the same conversation about us one day. Old foagies who don't want to let them know what's really going on."

"I dare you to go in there and call your mother and old foagie to her face." He smiled widely. "Maybe if we knew her we would be wallowing too, but you and I are not the wallowing type. Dad's been a different person lately, I mean more moodier and irrational than usual. He's been acting like you."

"You brat." She laughed. "I've never been that much of a drama queen, and when I threw tantrums as a teenager it was to counteract you. I made the right decision, starting young. And I'm getting there with the emotional balance that I need."

"And the fact that it's still pissing your mother off has nothing to do with it at all?" Katherine Matthews joined her best friend and the Lieutenant. "They're getting fully unbearable, and that's coming from me. So I think it says it all. I have the patience of a saint."

"Dad's been holding out for the crazy woman, it's rubbed off on all of them. Or they've been like that for years, and we're just noticing it now." Jonathon looked at the Medical student and smiled. "You have met Ellie, right? She's a paranoid neurotic about most things."

"I second that, and as her offspring I'm entitled to dwell on her negative points." Amanda suppressed some laughter. "You're not coming out to chastise us about the beer I hope."

"I'm surprised you two are only drinking beer, I need something a lot stronger than that with the way they're all going on and on." Kat cracked up laughing. "My Dad said if I wanted psyche hours I might as well come out and deal with you two. Though are you sure that's your child? He actually is way too cautious around the water."

"It's his first time around open water, it makes me a little more relieved he's not reckless." She nodded. "Some of us are capable of being responsible for our actions. It's called being a parent."

"I like that bullshit Amanda." Kat laughed. "How difficult was it to convince the Ambassador to let you come down for a month? I mean, not for nothing I wouldn't want your marriage."

"You have met Ellie?" Jonathon looked at the two of them. "Controlled by Ellie or controlled by a Vulcan fossil that you're infatuated with. I would take the fossil over Ellie too, she didn't raise you Kat. Your mother is sane."

"Could you one day quit referring to my husband as the Vulcan fossil?" Amanda punched him in the arm. "Seriously, it got old a while ago Jon. And that's not the emotional and moody me talking. Some of that Vulcan logic has sunk in over the last five years."

"I like the fossil term." Kat sunk down into her chair. "Okay, so Dan was super young when he became a grandfather, so old enough to be your grandfather is pushing it. But he's definitely old enough to be your father—that's still an issue. Even if he outlives you, he's still 45 years older than you are. I get Jon's point."

"You two are incorrigible." Amanda shrugged her shoulders. "I'm happy, let's just leave it at that. And one day maybe you two will realize it's more than a career some days. Having a family and a supportive spouse can make a difference."

January 2204

"Yes, Nicole." The Admiral leaned back in his chair as he put down the pad he was studying. He nodded as his secretary's babble came over the intercom. "Of course send him in. I haven't fully banned him from my good graces yet."

"Very charming Dad." Jonathon swaggered into his father's office. The Lieutenant sat down in the chair across from his father. "Grandma had this little devious look on her face when I met her for breakfast today. You told her didn't you?"

"What that you and Kat were getting serious? You're grandmother is a yenta, she would've picked up on it anyway. That and she and Amanda talk monthly, you seem to forget who the culprit can be sometimes." Reed reached for his coffee. "I personally like Kat, she's the type that's capable of even keeping you grounded. So you going to ask her?"

"Dad, we've been dating all of six months. Kat's starting her residency next month. Not exactly the ideal time to plan a wedding." Reed-Archer rolled his eyes. "Plus it's not like you the celibate monk. I'm an adult now, I haven't thought to think of any possible girlfriend as a replacement mother in well over a decade."

"I'm happy with my personal life just the way it is Jonathon." The Admiral rolled his eyes. "I have my work which doesn't get smart with me, you who only knows how to be sarcastic, and Ellie to make sure I eat. It's the perfect balance."

"In your eyes, not in most sane people's." The son raised an eyebrow. "Then again, you were the one who's spent the last 25 years holding out that a certifiably crazy woman would reappear and you can pick up your relationship exactly where you left it off. In case you haven't noticed, I've been walking, talking, and toilet trained for a few years now."

"It's different, I'm the reason she fled." Reed sighed. "Maggie spent 15 years in the Public Affairs office. I was the selfish one that wanted her out on ship with me. She was never cut out for a long term space mission. I knew that before I even asked her to be my XO. Ellie and Quinn even were on the do you need your head examined taking Maggie as your XO bandwagon. What does that say?"

"That you needed your head examined." Jonathon laughed. "Listen if it gets serious with Kat, you'll know. Between Ellie and Grace, you will know. Now I'm getting back to work, if I work enough hours, maybe just maybe I'll get a ship posting and out away from your meddling sometime this decade."


	16. Chapter 16

October 2240

"I'm screwed." Cadet First Class Kevin Robbins popped down into his desk chair and stared at his roommate. "So this morning, I find myself flirting with a plebe in the gym. She was so not your typical plebe with her heads up in the cloud."

"So?" Christopher Pike looked up from his prone position. "I'm assuming you convinced her off grounds for a drink, and that's where you've been for the last few hours."

"It is going extremely well. We're getting along wonderfully. She's totally the type that I can see myself married to." Kevin rolled his eyes. "That is if I never want my career to get past Lieutenant."

Pike cracked up laughing. He knew exactly where this story was heading. "Who's daughter is she? I mean the way we play the field it was bound to happen one day. Which Admiral is going to be permanently grounding you for breaking his baby girl's heart?"

"Grayson—don't give me that look." He was starting to stress up from the situation. "That's just the tip of this icing. You know how we always wonder why Grayson has a wedding ring, but never any wife on his arm at official events."

"Guy's probably a heart broken widow. Which means breaking his daughter's heart will have you spend your career scrubbing warp coils." Pike nodded about the Admiral. "But something tells me that's not the answer that we all thought it was."

"We're sitting there, who walks in but Jonathon Reed-Archer and he was alone. So I'm half expecting my date to get the puppy eyes that every female in the Fleet under the age of 35 gets. You know with the possibility of he'll see her and fall instantly in love. Her head doesn't even turn in his direction." Kevin looked at Pike. "Lieutenant-Commander Pretty Boy then comes over and lectures her about being off grounds. She gave him lip right back. Want to take a guess as to who Mrs. Grayson is now?"

"You're shitting me. You have to be shitting me? Archer? There's no way, that has to be impossible." Pike let out a low whistle. "Daniel Fucking Reed. We know what they say about that man. And from what I've heard, he's mild compared to the fist his daughter runs her staff with. Grayson is a hard ass, but he's at least sane."

Kevin sighed. "I mean I was totally turned on when she gave Reed-Archer lip. No one gives the prince an attitude. I mean this gorgeous thing had him put into his place in a matter of 4 sentences. Eunice had my heart with that. I think that says a lot about the guts that she has."

January 2242

The Physician found her way through the Ambassador's residence, the whole time cursing her best friend for talking her into the dinner. Kat Matthews had barely left the hospital over the last month, she needed a night at home. Not a night in a cocktail dress smiling at diplomats. "You owe me." She greeted Vulcan ambassador's wife with a hug.

"I know." Amanda smiled at her. "But you spend way too much time working. Have a glass of wine and relax. You can go back to living your normal unsocial life when we go back to Vulcan next week."

"I'm still surprised at how Sarek puts up with you." Kat giggled. "Yes I know I work too much, but it goes with the territory Mand. And I'm assuring Mom that I'll settle down and have a family one day. Though I did call her a hypocrite."

"Aunt Grace waiting to have you is pretty much a bone of contention. Apparently, her own mother gave her grief for years about putting her career on the forefront for years." Amanda sighed. "I mean really, she's a novelist—she could've easily had a child and still wrote. So the yenta in me goes with the namesake. Plus Jon's here, so you have someone to bitch to about my control issues."

"In case you haven't noticed, I've avoided him since we broke up. I'm guessing he didn't bring the floozy of the month with him." The doctor stared at her. "And no it's not about me being stubborn. I mean he called off the wedding with a week's notice. It took me the better part of 2 years to get over it all. He needs a little Ensign with perfect nails who will worship the ground that Commander Reed-Archer walks on. That could never be me, and he knows it."

"What I do know is the only time that Jon wasn't well Jon was when he was dating you." The diplomat in her took over. "And if you want to see this as a scheme of mine, go right ahead. Los is also here, I know she's looking for doctors to join the Exchange. If you really want to avoid him, you'll go work on Andoria for a year or two. You haven't done that yet Katherine."

"Still how you married a Vulcan amazes me." Kat rolled her eyes. "I'll be civil with Jon, I am every time I see him. Even if I do avoid him like he's an infectious disease. I would love to have what you and your mother had. Falling in love at 18 and living the fairy tale life—but growing up a romance novelist's daughter I'm cynical on that notion. I mean if it was so common place, Mom would never have the need to write what she writes."

"That's bullshit." Amanda smiled. "There is the love of your life out there somewhere. You need to find him, and settle down finally. I really don't want to see your children running around with my grandchildren. Even if it happened with us—I'd rather not see that history repeat itself."

June 2244

"It's dammed about time." Mayweather joined Reed at the bar on the top level of the deck. "I still don't know which of them was more stubborn."

"Grace, they're our children that we've kept out of the loop about everything." He tipped his glass to his partner. "So now you're stuck with me. Now it's official, that you're stuck with me. Ellie's working, you're going to be the one who feeds me. And you know I can eat a lot."

"I've been stuck with you since I was 12." She laughed. "I know you're thinking the same thing I'm thinking."

"Scary ain't it?" Rick approached the two of them. "We have a situation. I know that's not what you two want to be hearing. But."

"It can't wait I assume." Mayweather brought her voice down to a whisper. "We'll grab the secure in Dan's study. Just tell me it's not the Orions again? It's always the Orions."

"It's not the Orions Aunt Grace. For once it has nothing to do with the Orions." Rick laughed. "At least not directly. I believe your issues with the Orions stem back to your grandparents. Mom's told me the stories you two grew up hearing about intergalactic pirates. It doesn't take one of us to put the pieces together."

"Well the brains went into me and not your mother." Mayweather looked at him. "She used to kid that I got the good genetics, and she got the leftovers. Then again, I'm the one who will probably never get to enjoy grandchildren. Having the full package can be a detriment some days."

"It's the Romulans." Rick sighed. "I don't think I need to say anything more."

"Let's see the report first, then we'll make our call." Reed stared at his son-in-law. "Surprisingly we're both fairly sober, which actually makes me worried. I mean it's the two of us at a social event, have we really gotten that old?"

"You have. Two of your granddaughters have beaten your son to the altar." She shrugged her shoulders at her partner. "I on the other hand am as vibrant as I was the day I gave birth to the bride."

"With the help of the right people and techniques." He muttered under his breath. "Rick, do me a favor and grab Sil. If it's the Romulans, I need her. That's always been her domain."


	17. Chapter 17

October 2249

"Don't start giving me crap Ellie." Quinn sat across from his sister at the officer's club. "I know you want to. I can see it in your face, I already got an earful about it."

"I've talked to Sil. She all but ordered me to give you an earful." She grinned. "Did you really not see it coming? I mean really Quinn? You're so Maggie in that way. I'm assuming you've now grown out of the marrying phase. I mean the boys are grown, but you and I both know how it affected us, do you want the same for Charlotte?"

"I really hate it when you're right. But you are. I mean it was my way of coping with grief, and I should've had a better way of doing so." He sighed and reached for his beer. "I'm ten years older than Dan was when Maggie pulled her stunt. I really don't know if I'm capable of raising a toddler or not. Really, you're grandson is a Cadet, and I have a toddler to raise on my own."

"Okay, so we factor in the quarter Vulcan aspect, and you're the same age as Dad was. I mean you don't have me, but you can do it." The Admiral reached for her glass of wine. "And I mean if you didn't see this coming, you're just an idiot."

"I still don't know how Rick has put up with you all these years. I really don't." He saw the humor in his half sister's face. "It must be love. But yeah, I guess I get this part of me from Maggie. I certainly don't get it from Dad. And yes I should've known better before I went out and started dating an Ensign."

"A co-ed would've been a better choice. Look how Amanda is still married to Sarek. Though I'm sure that has a lot to do with the fact that she knows it pissed me off to no end for two decades." She sighed. "I'm telling you, if it didn't annoy the hell out of me, she would've never done it."

"And I'm too much like our mother?" Quinn laughed. "I know what I have to do, you don't have to give me pointers on that Admiral Mom. It just sucks that it's now just the two of us."

"You're fully capable of raising Charlotte to be the best possible person." Ellery smiled. "She's the easiest going child to come from our gene pool. We all know it's about time. Plus, we're around if you need back-up."

"I know. But it's just a matter of getting used to the whole notion of doing it all over again." He sighed. "And rumor is that Admiral Archer is very present on the academy grounds lately. You've moved on to micro-managing Spock haven't you?"

"I need someone to bitch about. He was warned before he even started the Academy." She shrugged her shoulders. "But would you believe Jon had the audacity to tell him that he should basically deny being related to me? That his career would be a lot smoother if they didn't know he was part Archer. The nerve of that boy."

April 2250

"Dad said you were out here." Amanda pulled her sweater tighter as she worked her way down to the beach with a chair in tow. "Hiding's not going to help the situation."

"I just needed to get away and for a while." Eunice stretched out her back and reached for her coffee. "You don't know what it's like dealing with this. I don't want to be able to comprehend the medical jargon. I know what they're saying simply by the tone that they're using."

She set up her beach chair. "Grandpa was the one that was worried about you. I would so not want to be in your shoes, trust me. I know it is the toughest thing you'll ever go through. I also know, that you don't need to be going through this whole process alone. And that's not the assimilated Vulcan in me talking either."

"I know I'm shutting everybody out. And I know that's what did Grandpa did. You don't need to lecture me Amanda." The Lieutenant sighed and gazed out onto the ocean. "I was supposed to be running engineering systems on the flight. I was medical grounded an hour before the flight.

"I'm assuming you haven't told Mom yet." Amanda looked at her baby sister and her blank gaze. "When did you lose the baby?"

"Last night, I don't know how I should feel about it all." Eunice sighed and continued to stare out at the horizon. "I don't know if I'm heartbroken or relieved. It sucks."

"I know, it's the last thing you need to be dealing with on top of everything else." Amanda reached to place a supportive hand on her sister's shoulder. "I'm staying down for at least two weeks, you need someone who's not an officer sitting with you at the hospital. We know what Mom focuses on. Even if she would never admit it herself."

The young officer tried to force a smile. "Of course not, she's an enlightened officer. Her career is not her life. What was she like anyway before she went fleet? I mean she had to be different when you and Jon were little."

"You're kidding right? Before she went fleet she worked as a language analyst for some Federation agency. I mean she was actually more lenient after she got the officer pips." Amanda comforted her with words. "Mom's always strived for the right balance. It's about her avoiding even the remote chance of turning into Maggie. You guys were a little more sheltered from it all. There was a reason they sent you away when we discussed it for a reason. Jon and I always have gotten the brunt of it. We're used to it by now."

"I sort of figured that. I mean no one even mentions her name. Even Grandpa, and you would think with all the years he waited for her, he would." Eunice sighed. "Mom avoids Maggie, I'm going to try my hardest not to turn into Grandpa. The last thing Starfleet needs is another Dan Reed. I know that. We all know that."

January 2253

Bit worked her way towards the entrance of her headquarters. She smiled at what she had created, her agency was exactly what she had envisioned seventy-five years earlier. The meeting she was about to have was one that she had put off for years. Those closest to her had basically told her it was time.

Asil accompanied her husband and mother-in-law along the route she had walked many times over the course of her career. The four of them had debated if it was a good idea for months. As a team they had worked to move past the issue. It was a matter of giving the woman they worshiped closure to a part of her life that there was never closure before.

The trio walked through the gate of the London grounds. The Intelligence specialist meekly spoke. "You do understand that what's about to happen is extremely classified? I'm doing this for your mother Charlie. I haven't kept it from you deliberately for all these years." She watched as her director opened the door.

The director pushed back the hood of her sweater, she saw the elderly Vulcan's face go ashen. T'Pol knew instantly, after all the years, she still had her father's eyes. "Libby."

"I think it's best if y'all come inside and we talk privately." Bit nodded with a sigh. "Libby's been dead since I've been sixteen. But, yes Mother it is me. It was a conscious choice I made, I knew you and Dad belonged together. You never knew did you? Even with your own son being the spitting image of him, you never figured it out Charlie."

"No, but it explains a lot." He took her in—then stared down his wife. "I just had assumed like everyone else that you had died when you were only a few months old. Especially with the way they fussed over me being born."

"I grew up in safe houses, I knew I couldn't spend my life in them." Bit looked at her mother. "It worked out for the best—I created what we knew the Federation needed to have. At this point it doesn't matter if you know—you're the only one left who knew Libby Tucker."

July 2254

"Could you quit this bravado act?" The XO impatiently tapped her blue tipped finger on the table. "It's getting beyond annoying Christopher Pike."

"We had a deal Number One." Pike stared her down. "I deal with it in my own way, you write the report we send to headquarters. It's times like these Eu . . ."

"That you wish you didn't talk me out of the grieving process." Eunice finished his sentence. "Tough, you're stuck with the good widow Robbins."

"I've just been thinking is what they could've done for Kevin. He wouldn't have spent the last two years of his life living the way that he did. Neither of us would ever want to live like that. That contraption keeping us alive." The Captain sighed. "You've moved on a lot better than I did."

"No I haven't. I spent two years dreaming for a miracle. And dreaming that it was all a dream. You know that the crash never happened, I had the baby and it was all good." The Lieutenant-Commander toyed with the wedding ring she still wore off duty. "I'm turning into my Grandfather. I know he's never coming back, but I still can't let go. It sucks, I want to move on. Get past being Kevin Robbins widow. Give up the guilt of being the engineer who caused the crash because she was medically grounded an hour before the flight. I mean I could've compensated for the variance with no problem."

"You weren't at fault. You not on that flight is not the reason it crashed, you and I both know that. And even if you argued for them to let you fly, Kevin would've never let you." He reached across the table for her hand. "That first night when you put Jon into his place, Kevin knew immediately that you were the girl he was going to marry. You seem to forget that he was just as capable of an engineer as you are Eu. He took that flight because he loved you, not because he doubted you."

"You are the only one who didn't put on that pity face the first few months. I mean, I would walk in, and I would just get these looks of poor pity. There goes Poor Eunice, her world has totally collapsed around her, it's amazing she's still walking." Eunice squeezed his hand. "I really think everyone was expecting me to deal the same way my grandfather dealt. But you and I both know that's what I've turned into. I mean I got lectured about it when I was in the gym today."

"I swear for as Vulcan as that kid is, he's just as bad as your mother. He's Ellie's grandson for sure, there is no question about it." Pike laughed. "He's right you know. You've lost yourself. It's nice that you're calm and cool on my bridge—but I wanted you as my XO because you get me. Are we going to talk about it? You know we can't ignore it. Yes you are my best friend's widow, and it would be awkward but?"

"No shit." She smiled. "But it's not like you haven't been one of my best friends since we were cadets. Is it ideal, hell no. Nothing about my life has been ideal, we'll take it step by step. For now, let me get the report in. After that we'll figure if us is a good idea or not."


	18. Epilogue

2268

"I know we got these remains from an Orion market. Logic says it probably isn't her. My gut is saying it has to be." Spock looked at McCoy. "I'd rather know that the chances are that it is Maggie before we say anything."

"You're one of them." McCoy looked at him with shock. "That's the real reason. It's nothing about Vulcan discipline. It makes so much sense. I mean if I was one of them I wouldn't advertise it either. Which one?"

"Ellery but she won't admit it--they're not old enough to have a grandson in the command ranks. She was barely an adult when she had Amanda. My mother was barely an adult when she had me." Spock smiled. "If those remains aren't Maggie, I sure as hell don't want to have to deal with the circus they will bring to this ship. Reed, the rumors about him are basically true. Tucker has the temper of a Klingon. Reed-Archer is clueless. My grandmother is the only glimmer of sanity and practicality amongst them. Can you blame me for wanting to seem fully Vulcan?"

"I don't blame you at all." The doctor sighed. "Kat Matthews supervised my surgical rotation. You need not say anything more."

"I'm hoping my mitochondrial DNA can work." The First Officer nodded. "I would rather we not have to call out any of them out if we can avoid it. My first memories are of when they tried to figure out what to do with the ship. My grandfather and Quinn did nothing but pace the deck for days at a time over the whole thing. Rick Grayson is the most in control officer the Fleet has ever seen—he doesn't pace. She's still an extremely touchy subject—even if Starfleet wrote her off 50 years ago. She's that presence that is always there. Even if we try to avoid it as much as possible."

_Ellery looked at her husband. "What the hell are we going to do if it's her? I'm sick to my stomach not knowing. I made my peace years ago, we don't need to re-open that wound."_

"_Let Dan say goodbye. You and Quinn had your closure. He needs to have his." Rick squeezed her hand. "Maybe he'll be the Dan he was. That Dan—we remember what it was like when he was around all the time. We don't need to give him the details about how long she's been dead or how he died. You can even stare down her bones and laugh about the fact that you have yet to trade up from the starter husband. Am I right Admiral?"_

"_You're right. Just don't let it get to your head Frederick." She didn't want to admit it. She put back on her Admiral's face and turned to the young officer at the controls. "We're ready to beam over to the Enterprise."_

_Kirk waited impatiently in the transporter room. He was venting out loud. "Two 4 stars on this ship, not exactly what I want." He watched the pair beam in. "Admirals, Captain James Kirk, it's a pleasure to have you on board."_

"_No it's not Mr. Kirk." Rick looked at him. "I hated anytime I had an Admiral come aboard with short notice when I was commanding."_

"_Give the kid a break. I'm impressed that they've actually been taught manners and respect. Ignore my husband's sarcasm. He likes to have Captains think he's nothing of the hard ass that he really is. Then he reams them with demotions when they don't meet his impossible standards." Ellery smiled at Kirk. "He's doing an official walk through—we needed an excuse to tell Admiral Reed. With his health failing, I didn't want to get his hopes up."_

"_We're ready for the once over Admiral Grayson. I pride myself on keeping this ship in tip-top shape." Kirk smiled at her. He looked up to see his XO walk in. "My first officer Mr. Spock, he'll be escorting you to sickbay."_

"_Admiral Archer, Admiral Grayson." The Vulcan nodded at the two of them. "We can be on our way. I know you two are anxious to run these tests."_

_Ellery waited for him to escort them out of the transporter room. "Kirk has no clue. I'm impressed. None of us have ever been that good. It's kind of nice to see one of us working against the reputation. Though I have to say you learned from the best. She won't acknowledge that I'm her mother either."_

_Rick looked at his grandson and rolled his eyes at his wife's rant. "What do we know so far? I mean we told Dan that I'm here to do a walkthrough. The fact that your grandmother came with me, means he's not buying it at all."_

"_Of course he's not." Spock sighed. "The original DNA test was inconclusive. We need a pure human sample. Dr. McCoy made no official note that we've already run the first test.. Kat supervised his residency—he gets us. He and I are the only ones that know about the first DNA test. And the reason you're way too young and vibrant is because you were basically my age when I was born."_

"_I knew he was my favorite for a reason. His father makes him a lot easier to deal with." Rick laughed. "It would've been so much easier if this happened when Chris was the Captain. He and Eu would've figured out a way to have them destroyed before anyone even knew about them."_

"_They have the reputation for finding ways to work around things. You do know that." Spock cracked a smile. "And thank-you for not getting me court martialed and executed because of that. I know somewhere along the line strings were pulled."_

"_You can thank your aunt for that. There was an amendment made to General Order 7 when she wrote it." Ellery sighed. "The whole thing was all legal for any member of Chris's crew when the original incident happened."_

Ellery sat quietly on the observation deck with her current workload in front of her. She needed something to distract her, work was going to be it for the time being. It was tough, her younger brother didn't know why she was on the Enterprise. His whole life she had avoided the topic, but she knew what led to her mother's breakdown. Fifty-eight years, she wanted her mother buried and done with finally.

The science officer approached the Admiral. He was protectively clutching a glass. "I received a secure communication to make sure you had this. It's amazing how much you two actually abuse power. Jonathon Archer's grandchildren or not, you and Quinn really get away with a lot more than most other Admirals."

She smiled and accepted the glass. "We're Hoshi Sato's grandchildren--that's how we get away with it. And I worked very hard to make Admiral, don't let anyone go putting it to you that I was handed it on a plate. I would be doing the same if he was the one holding vigil over bones."

"You two really don't care if it's her or not." Spock plopped down next to her and sighed. "I never told mother how much I actually remembered from then. The whole thing cemented into my toddler mind. I knew that's something she would never want to hear."

"You poor thing. We were such wrecks." She sighed and sipped her rum. "Your mother and Jon were sitting out on the deck one night. The guilt that I felt about it, the way I raised the two of them, it was all to counteract the way my mother raised me. They were there they got the brunt of it for the first years that they could talk. Your grandfather was out on ship, my Dad was in la-la land, I was basically a cadet with two toddlers. Teaching them how not to buckle to being an Archer—I didn't figure it out until they were in college."

"That was actually Jon's advice. Not to say anything about being your grandson. My career would be much easier if I was seen as a Vulcan ambassador's son, and if people didn't know that my human mother was a Reed-Archer." He looked at his grandmother. "I was taken aback when he actually said it, but after those three years with Eu. I understand why he believes that."

"He's taken a lot of guilt because of Brandon. If Brandon wasn't a Reed-Archer, no flight instructor would've let him do that flight. I mean, I never encouraged your mother and aunts to go Starfleet or not." The admiral ran a hand through her short grey hair. "Quinn and I grew up with Maggie, we did everything opposite of the way that she did it. Jon was raised by a very different man than the one that was around when I was growing up. It explains a lot."

"If it is her, are you bringing her home?" Spock knew it's what she didn't want to do. "Are you going to let Dan say goodbye? I know he needs that. We all know he needs that."

"Do you want to know what led to the breakdown, besides the post-partum psychosis?" The officer in her took over. "I pretty much knew from the time I was about seven that Dad was my father. Maggie was never fully stable—we all questioned him in his choice as her for an XO. The only one that knew I suspected that I was Daniel Reed's daughter was Grace."

"He ran a DNA test, probably long before you suspected. I know Grandpa Dan well enough, to know he would've run a DNA test the minute he thought it was a possibility." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you think she ever suspected it? I mean I know she was his best friend for years, but romantically involved before the Enterprise?"

"From what I've gathered over the years was that it was a drunken weekend. I know there were multiple ones over the years. He was around every shore leave when I was growing up, and to say my parents could party is an understatement." Ellery sighed. "My mother claimed I caused her to grow up, but in a lot of ways she never did. Somehow she figured it out after Jon was born for herself. I don't know if someone planted the information—there were people at Starfleet intelligence that wanted her gone for a long time."

"You really don't believe that? Ellery Archer, the woman who has molded Starfleet Intelligence." The officer watched his grandmother tense up. "I mean it's a stretch."

"And I've spent enough years working with Starfleet Intelligence, I find it fully plausible." She looked at him. "They kept her in the press office because that's where Maggie caused the least trouble. At the same time, it gave her way too much of a public name and face. She could've leaked anything in a matter of seconds. It makes total sense."

"I'll give you that." Spock looked up to see McCoy enter. His grandfather was right behind the ship's doctor. "Bones?"

Rick rushed up and placed a protective hand on his wife's shoulder. "Remember what we agreed Ellie, this changes nothing." They had made that pact before they were even married. "If it's Maggie, we bring her home and let your Dad and Jon say goodbye."

"It's not Margaret Archer." McCoy sighed. "Whoever she is, she does share your mitochondrial DNA. That's why I couldn't get the right reading on Spock. Do you know of any women in your grandmother's family that have been missing?"

"I as well as my daughters are all accounted for." Ellery's eyes opened up wide. "And as far as I know my mother was an only child. My grandmother had no sisters. It would have to be some distant maternal cousin. We're certain she's not my mother? The pieces lined up way too well for it not to be her."

"There is one more thing Admiral. There was a temporal variance amongst the remains." McCoy looked at the Admiral. "I wasn't able to date the temporal signature, I'm assuming you'll be able to arrange for that."

"Of course there was a temporal variance." Ellery laughed at the irony. "The Temporal Cold War greatly affected my grandparents' tour on the NX-01."

"I can have the team assigned to the issue examine the remains. What can you tell me about the remains?" The Admiral worked his hands towards the stress knot that was accumulating in his wife's shoulder. "If they're going to figure out who she is, they might as well have as much information as possible."

"Mid 40's to Mid 50's. They're fully decomposed which made it more difficult for me to date them. She is a female with significant Asian markers, which is why we were under the assumption it could be Maggie Archer." McCoy sighed again. "Whoever she was, she deserves a proper burial. "

"I can arrange for you to have the secure channel to Quinn." Spock nodded at her. "Are you going to say anything to Grandpa Dan about it?"

"We would appreciate that. And no, there's no need to tell him that it's not her." Rick nodded. "The whole notion that remains from an Orion market were Maggie, it was far fetched. However having known that woman, even in death she would find a way to be overly dramatic."

Ellery brushed away a few tears. "In a way I'm glad she stays in limbo. Part of me hope she's still out there. That she can get to know her granddaughters, and realize that there's a piece of her in each of the girls. To see how her baby grew to be this amazingly passionate being. To get a lecture about the fact that I've stayed married to the same man since I was eighteen. I don't know what I would've said to my Dad if it was her."


End file.
